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EDITORIAL: Beware of political ideologues

The criticism against people who change political parties is often pedestrian. Loyalty, as cute as it sounds, isn’t always good. In fact, it is rigid political faithfulness that is to blame for much of Africa’s contemporary leadership crisis.

Revered African leaders such as Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, founding fathers of those countries’ post-colonialism, exited power as pariahs. Nkrumah died in exile in Romania, after Ghanaians realised that their loyalty should be to the country and not the man who has morphed into a different creature than the one they initially installed into power.

Vipua Muharukua’s resignation from the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), which has stirred spirited debates in the past 48 hours, can therefore be looked at through the same prism. The same goes for such men as Job Amupanda, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, Hidipo Hamutenya and many others who, seemingly out of principle, defected from their political nests.

But the most dangerous of the lot are the ideologues. These are radicals with very strong beliefs to which they stubbornly stick. An ideologue will insist they're right even when evidence suggests they might be wrong - and those are dangerous people.

We need more ‘John Walkers’ in politics – men and women of courage whose loyalty is to the country first. When the political boat they are travelling in no longer sails in the right direction, they must first try and veer it back on track. But once all avenues of righteous sailing have been exhausted, those with principles must be able to quit the voyage without fear of judgment.

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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