What Africa needs

What defines a real man? Well, that depends on the angle from which you look at it. Great men have roamed Africa, great philosophers, sportsmen and politicians alike. We face a myriad of challenges here in Africa, poverty, disease, hunger just to mention a few. It's not because we can't but basically because we lack the understanding. Nearly all African states comprise the poorest in the planet, but why? We have vast natural resources, and literate youthful generation. Corruption is the prime source of all suffering and inadequacy in the continent. The leaders we elect always unfortunately act as catalysts to the status quo. Their modus operandi is pretty much simialr on all fronts, steal and steal more. American business magnate and presidential hopeful Donald Trump has constantly criticised African leaders particularly the Kenyan president of gross corruption and poor leadership strategies. He isn't exactly misinformed as most people would think, but has plenty of reason to reach such a resolve. But thanks to one charismatic man President Magufuli of Tanzania who has less than a month in office but already has massive approval rating globally. He expresses great gusto and determination in all he does, leaving no room for corruption and laziness. I believe those who opposed him at the ballot are visibly happy about the big steps he's taking towards shaping the country's destiny. He has cut down all but necesary foreign trips by high ranking government officials and instead delegated those duties to foreign consulates. He has equally stripped off public holidays like for instance World Aids day, and opted for purchase of ARVs using the very funds that would otherwise be used for planning and budgeting for those events. The parliamentary cocktail party which initially had a hefty price tag of about $100,000 has been stripped down to $7000 for the sole purpose of acquiring medical equipment for the hospitals. Government meetings will nolonger be characterised by lavish hotels as before, citing that the government won't settle those exorbitant bills, ministers were therefore urged to conduct such meetings via teleconferencing. The President went ahead to dismiss Tanzanian Revenue Aithority ceo for failing to collect taxes on an undisclosed number of containers, a clear indication that he loathes lethargic fellows. This man continues to stir controversy and hit the headlines and for some reason am starting to think that teachers make the best presidents in the world. This is what Africa needs. Not far away from Tanzania, Kenyan leaders are still caught up in the quicksand of greed. Declining to take pay cuts and taking part in travels worldwide, even at the county levels. It's only in Kenya where millions vanish without any coherent and sober explanation, consider the NYS scam. Still Kenyans have become accustomed to inconsistencies in the tendering process, consider the BVR kits, SGR and the infamous corruption schemes in counties countrywide where a single wheelbarrow costs $1090 and a puppy $2500. Sadly this has been highlighted by many people NGO's, parastatals and the press(both foregn and domestic) but there seems to be no remedy. The public outcry and appeal apparently fall on deaf ears, not deaf as such but to fellows who seek to enrich themselves and pursue their own interests at the expense of the poor taxpayer. Kenya has for long been the dominant economic powerhouse in East and Central Africa only because her counterparts haven't exactly had smooth political histories. I can bet that Tanzania will soon get the crown, should things last the trajectory taken by Magufuli. It's about time our leaders gave up their personal ambitions for the very people who gave them a chance to be at the apex.