By Any Means Necessary? Or is it too much?

After writing on the death of Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli I started going through some of Africa's loved former leaders to look at what they may have or may not have done differently. The main question being are we too harsh on our leaders? When one has a vision that no one else neither see nor understands is it justified to use a heavy hand? Do the ends justify the means? or more importantly do all great leaders come with flaws that we should be able to look past & or beyond?

After taking office, President Magufuli immediately began to impose measures to curb government spending, such as barring unnecessary foreign travel by government officials, using cheaper vehicles and board rooms for transport and meetings respectively, shrinking the delegation for a tour of the Commonwealth from 50 people to four, dropping its sponsorship of a World AIDS Day exhibition in favour of purchasing AIDS medication, and discouraging lavish events and parties by public institutions (such as cutting the budget of a state dinner inaugurating the new parliamentary session). Dr. Magufuli reduced his own salary from US$15,000 to US$4,000 per month

President Magufuli personally participated in the cleanup efforts, having stated that it was "so shameful that we are spending huge amounts of money to celebrate 54 years of independence when our people are dying of cholera". The cost savings were to be invested in improving hospitals and sanitation in the country. He reduced his cabinet from 30 ministries to 19 to help reduce costs. In July 2016, Tanzania banned shisha smoking, with Magufuli citing its health effects among youth as the reason. In March 2017, Tanzania banned the export of unprocessed ores, in an effort to encourage domestic smelting

In January 2018, Magufuli issued a directive ordering the suspension of registration for foreign merchant ships, following recent incidents surrounding the seizure of overseas shipments of illegal goods (particularly drugs and weapons) being transported under the flag. Tanzania and Zanzibar had gained reputations for being flags of convinience In the same year, Magufuli introduced a free education for all the government schools in 2016 without paying fees.

The country has amended the laws governing the award of mining contracts, giving itself the right to renegotiate or terminate them in the event of proven fraud. The new legislation also removes the right of mining companies to resort to international arbitration. The tax dispute with Acacia Mining, accused of having significantly undervalued its gold production for years, finally resulted in an agreement: Tanzania obtains 16% of the shares in the mines held by the multinational. In May 2020, Acacia Mining paid $100M to the government to end dispute as the first tranche of the $300M.

With one of the highest economic growth rates on the African continent (5.8% in 2018 and an estimated 6% for 2019 according to the IMF), the Tanzanian government is embarking on a vast programme of infrastructure development, particularly rail infrastructure. The small fishing port of Bagamoyo, to which US$10 billion of investment has been allocated, is expected to become the largest port in Africa by 2030

Magufuli's government worked on various infrastructure projects targeting economic development. Projects include the addition of half a dozen Air Tanzania planes as a way of reviving the national carrier, the expansion of Terminal III of Julius Nyerere International AIrport , construction of Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway, Mfugale Flyover, Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station, Ubungo Interchange, new Selander Bridge, Kigongo-Busisi Bridge, Huduma Bora Za afya, Vituo Bora Za Afya, expansion of Port of Dar es Salaam, Dodoma Bus Terminal, liquefied natural gas plant, water project, wind farm project, Uhuru Hospital project, gold refinery plant, and Magufuli Bus Terminal

Samora Moises Machel the 1st Mozambiquean President who's weakness was perhaps failing to anticipate the backlash of his opponents when he chased them out of Mozambique upon attaining independence. It is said the former colonisers the Portuguese filled up all sewer & drainage systems with concrete before they left the country. Later on allegedly assassinated by the South African government.

There isn't much negatives people can say about him as he was a passionate that loved his people & people loved him back despite the perennial war he was fighting with rebel leaders.

Samora was perhaps more obsessed with helping all of Africa not just his people. Credited with contributing to neighboring countries' fight for independence especially that of Zimbabwe. Samora is still loved & adored today as images of him can still be seen everywhere especially in the SADC region. Loved to the level of Thomas Sankara seen standing next to him in the above picture.

Army General Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara of Burkina Faso is possibly the first person that comes to mind when you hear the term or phrase Benevolent dictator. So loved was he, that after being appointed Prime Minister at the age of 33 he was immediately imprisoned which led to his followers & supporters seizing power in a coup & announcing him President.

He changed the name of the country from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso meaning Land of Incorruptible People. With its people being called Burkinabé "upright people". Just like the bulldozer Dr. Magufuli, Sankara was against the idea of Foreign Aid especially from the IMF. His domestic policies were focused on preventing famine with agrarian self-sufficiency and land reform, prioritising education with a nationwide literacy campaign and promoting public health. His administration built for the first time scores of schools, health centers, water reservoirs, and nearly 100 km of rail, with little or no external assistance. Total cereal production rose by 75% between 1983 and 1986. Planted more than 10 Million trees to combat desertification of the Sahel region. He was big on Land reform like Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe. Sankara called on every village to build a medical dispensary and had pharmacies built in 5,384 out of 7,500 villages. From 1982-1984 the infant mortality rate dropped from 208 per 1,000 births to 145 School attendance under Sankara increased from 6% to 22% again another Mugabe like characteristic. He also fought corruption arresting senior officials & fought for women's rights to go to school, stay in school even pregnant, appointing women in high offices. He even outlawed female genetal mutilation & Polygamy.

Patrice Émery Lumumba former president of Republic of the Congo. Another loved leader that people still revere till today to the point of many Africans changing their names to Lumumba as a sign of their anti imperial stance. One might say he is what Steve Biko or Chris Hani would have been had he become president.

possibly the 2nd most controversial African leader ever is Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddaf commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi or "Brother Leader" Gaddafi transformed Libya into a new socialist state called a Jamahiriya "state of the masses" in 1977. With emphasis on agriculture & oil production Gadaffi managed to improve the welfare of Lybian people but had a stronger hold on their freedoms to the point of even banning Christianity.

Under Gaddafi, education and health care were free for all. Gaddafi’s government had legislation providing for a grant to newlyweds to buy their first apartment so as to help start a family. Claims are that the process was tedious and bureaucratic to the extent that not many people bothered to follow it through but the $50,000 was there if one followed through. The Gaddafi regime embarked on one of modern man’s edifices of development: the Great Man-Made River Project to make water available to the whole country. As is known, Libya is in a desert region and Gaddafi’s plan to ascertain every citizen of access was the Great Man-Made River Project. Libya was a well-endowed state. To put this into perspective, the self-acclaimed champion of democracy and capitalism, the USA has a debt of over $18 Trillion. Libya had none. Enough said.

Petrol was $0.14 a litre Yes! 14 cents per Litre

On 21 February 2011, Gaddafi launched a programme to privatize all Libyan oil to every citizen of Libya. This would initially provide $21,000 to every citizen from a total of $32 billion in 2011 and effectively lead to the dissolution of the ministries of health, education and others to eliminate corruption, theft of oil by foreign companies and to decentralise power.

Then there was Robert Gabriel Bellermine Mugabe. Where to start? I guess Starting with Magufuli Sankara & Lumumba we have gone on a sliding scale. On one end Bob (or as he later on got referred to by other SADC countries as Uncle Bob)... On one end he ensured education & literacy levels equal to none in all of Africa. Every country has several Zimbabweans serving as Senior Execs or captains of Industry thanks to the quality of education Zimbabweans got from the Mugabe Administration.

Mugabe managed to deliver the most radical of land reform programmes ever on earth. At one time Zimbabwe was 100% in the hands of indigenous Zimbabweans from the land to the mines to all factors of production, A feat that will most likely never to be achieved ever again or repeated by any other African country. A huge win for Africans & Black Zimbabweans but at what cost?

Multiple human rights abuses. Mugabe's Zimbabwe was one of whispers, where even cabinet ministers members of parliament, let alone mere citizens where reduced to speaking in whispers even in the comfort of their own homes. So feared was Bob that none could dare speak openly against him as he would descend upon any voice with the might of state security.

It didn't help matters that Mugabe made an enemy of himself to his own people, the same people he was fighting for. This left him isolated considering the real war had always been against the colonial powers. The Ndebele people screaming Gukurahundi. The Shona people screaming Murambatsvina. The inbetweeners screaming long arm short arm. No one was going to sympathize with the fact that sanctions brought the country to its knees. In the end it all amounted to nothing.

So what breed of leader does Africa need? Surely Magufuli starts looking more and more like a beacon of light & hope sadly he didn't do enough to protect himelf from whatever illness that took his life.