More politicians than leaders: a threat to our democracy
“Politicians are more concerned about the next election; leaders are more concerned about the next generation” (Dr. Myles Munroe)
The Namibian political space is brimming with ambitious political candidates who are selling their credentials to serve on the altar of the next government or party structure, but sadly, very few show the traits of a leader. In fact, many candidates appear to be severely lacking in some of the most essential qualities of a good leader, such as competence, integrity, and accountability. Politics and leadership define the destiny of any country, hence the need to identify leaders who will transform our political space and not people who seek power for a variety of reasons such as improving their self-worth, giving them a sense of control, being able to have their voices heard, having a seat in the room ... you name it.
We have seen that in past elections, but more importantly, we are seeing that in the types of candidates currently scrambling for a piece of the CC of the ruling party. During this campaign period, loyalty is at high levels among delegates who are often self-interested and sycophantic. For example, the candidates who are sweet talkers have generally better chances of being elected. They are good at lobbying, praising, and boosting the feelings of the delegates, who feel that they will support a comrade, someone who will have their back, which will make them feel safe. Thus, delegates have to scrutinise the characteristics and intentions of candidates to differentiate politicians from leaders.
Politicians are self-serving
It’s no coincidence that the word “politician” has many negative connotations. Through experience, one can tell that there are only a handful that come close to the principles of leadership and show strong indicators of a successful political leader.
Those who are observant and critical have seen most politicians always aligning with popular public opinions, bragging about past achievements, and evading those who cry for better services. They are only campaigning for an election mostly for their own selfish ambitions, interests in power, position, and all the entitlements attached to it.
Or, often for selfish reasons, many are thinking about their prosperity (cars they will drive, suburbs they will relocate to). During the campaign period, we observe how politicians sometimes adjust their clothes or accent to the people they are with at the moment, seeking to relate to and be accepted.
Politicians build their cabinets or teams based on political, tribal, religious, and other weak sentiments.
Loyalty to the party or those in power is their best friend, and they sometimes forget about their own dignity or right to question dubious practices. That is why they will tell you they only have permanent interests but not permanent friends. Politicians are people who are relationship-focused. Whatever their motives, they focus on how they can use their relationships to navigate their careers and secure resources for themselves and their cronies.
They look out for themselves first and often use their relationship or diplomatic skills to navigate others toward their needs.
A politician seeks to avoid responsibility for errors and thus tends to obfuscate, saying very little with a large number of words. We have seen politicians dribbling around the question about Fishrot, or the disappearance of public funds (GIPF, SSC) to avoid responsibility for errors and trying to act smart all the time.
Remember this quote from Thomas Sowell, who stated that "no one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems—of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind."
Leaders are principled
Leaders align with proven principles and values even when they are not in line with public sentiments.
A leader raises support to advance a worthy cause for their nation’s development. They are interested in getting support for the development and emancipation of their people, even at the expense of positions, entitlements, and / or their life.
A leader embraces all citizens' diverse ideas and sees them as potential partners they can work with. They build their teams based on competence, shared vision, and values, whether they are loyal or not.
Leaders remain true to themselves in very different situations and are willing to take the heat for speaking the hard truth. Vengeance is not in their dictionary because they know their opinions are not always the best and embrace diverse opinions for their personal and professional development.
Risk to democracy
Our democracy seems to be threatened by the disillusionment of people who are going through many social and economic challenges. Consequently, more far-sighted and unselfish leaders of merit are needed to get them out of the mess they're in, rather than more politicians who will not be able to navigate the challenges.
Although in a democracy, people decide on the government they want through elections, in Namibia, the agony is that they don't have the luxury to decide on the type of candidates who will serve them. It is more disconcerting that those who are fielded are forced on them by the parties who have the power to decide on whom to field without considering the merits of that candidate. The only choice voters have is either to abstain or, out of loyalty to the party, choose the party.
It is an immense mistake to think that the abstention of people, especially Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), the millennials (born 1981 to 1996), and Generation Z (born 1997 or after), from voting means they are not aware of today’s social problems, the inequalities their generation faces, nor their willingness to act. Growing evidence suggests that it is a lack of faith in democratic institutions to solve today’s pressing challenges rather than ignorance of the stakes involved.
Failing to examine generational engagement trends may be a serious blind spot – and thus a threat to democracy.
Pay attention
It is a question that merits closer examination. When generations disengage, they are often saying they don’t have a high level of confidence or trust in existing economic, political, or social entities. They may also want to "opt-out" because they perceive that their generation is not being heard or treated fairly. Whatever their reasons, generational disengagement will ultimately have negative impacts beyond democratic engagement, with potential shockwaves on social stability, the well-being and mental health of individuals (the unemployed and their families), and individual and country-level economic productivity and quality of life.
With a challenge this large, and with so much at stake, more leaders and their institutions must place generational disillusionment at the top of their agenda and seek ways to turn the tide. It is my humble plea to the delegates of different political parties to feed the electorate with meritocratic leaders, although we know they are in short supply. Candidates who will tackle the economic challenges and lift many out of poverty and not politicians who are corrupt or uncaring and only know some parts of their constituencies during elections.
Political parties come and go, as do political leaders, but the nation is forever. It is, therefore, infinitely more important to put the "NEXT GENERATION’ higher on the agenda than "THE NEXT ELECTION’!
Private Citizen Faustinus Shikukutu
The Namibian political space is brimming with ambitious political candidates who are selling their credentials to serve on the altar of the next government or party structure, but sadly, very few show the traits of a leader. In fact, many candidates appear to be severely lacking in some of the most essential qualities of a good leader, such as competence, integrity, and accountability. Politics and leadership define the destiny of any country, hence the need to identify leaders who will transform our political space and not people who seek power for a variety of reasons such as improving their self-worth, giving them a sense of control, being able to have their voices heard, having a seat in the room ... you name it.
We have seen that in past elections, but more importantly, we are seeing that in the types of candidates currently scrambling for a piece of the CC of the ruling party. During this campaign period, loyalty is at high levels among delegates who are often self-interested and sycophantic. For example, the candidates who are sweet talkers have generally better chances of being elected. They are good at lobbying, praising, and boosting the feelings of the delegates, who feel that they will support a comrade, someone who will have their back, which will make them feel safe. Thus, delegates have to scrutinise the characteristics and intentions of candidates to differentiate politicians from leaders.
Politicians are self-serving
It’s no coincidence that the word “politician” has many negative connotations. Through experience, one can tell that there are only a handful that come close to the principles of leadership and show strong indicators of a successful political leader.
Those who are observant and critical have seen most politicians always aligning with popular public opinions, bragging about past achievements, and evading those who cry for better services. They are only campaigning for an election mostly for their own selfish ambitions, interests in power, position, and all the entitlements attached to it.
Or, often for selfish reasons, many are thinking about their prosperity (cars they will drive, suburbs they will relocate to). During the campaign period, we observe how politicians sometimes adjust their clothes or accent to the people they are with at the moment, seeking to relate to and be accepted.
Politicians build their cabinets or teams based on political, tribal, religious, and other weak sentiments.
Loyalty to the party or those in power is their best friend, and they sometimes forget about their own dignity or right to question dubious practices. That is why they will tell you they only have permanent interests but not permanent friends. Politicians are people who are relationship-focused. Whatever their motives, they focus on how they can use their relationships to navigate their careers and secure resources for themselves and their cronies.
They look out for themselves first and often use their relationship or diplomatic skills to navigate others toward their needs.
A politician seeks to avoid responsibility for errors and thus tends to obfuscate, saying very little with a large number of words. We have seen politicians dribbling around the question about Fishrot, or the disappearance of public funds (GIPF, SSC) to avoid responsibility for errors and trying to act smart all the time.
Remember this quote from Thomas Sowell, who stated that "no one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems—of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind."
Leaders are principled
Leaders align with proven principles and values even when they are not in line with public sentiments.
A leader raises support to advance a worthy cause for their nation’s development. They are interested in getting support for the development and emancipation of their people, even at the expense of positions, entitlements, and / or their life.
A leader embraces all citizens' diverse ideas and sees them as potential partners they can work with. They build their teams based on competence, shared vision, and values, whether they are loyal or not.
Leaders remain true to themselves in very different situations and are willing to take the heat for speaking the hard truth. Vengeance is not in their dictionary because they know their opinions are not always the best and embrace diverse opinions for their personal and professional development.
Risk to democracy
Our democracy seems to be threatened by the disillusionment of people who are going through many social and economic challenges. Consequently, more far-sighted and unselfish leaders of merit are needed to get them out of the mess they're in, rather than more politicians who will not be able to navigate the challenges.
Although in a democracy, people decide on the government they want through elections, in Namibia, the agony is that they don't have the luxury to decide on the type of candidates who will serve them. It is more disconcerting that those who are fielded are forced on them by the parties who have the power to decide on whom to field without considering the merits of that candidate. The only choice voters have is either to abstain or, out of loyalty to the party, choose the party.
It is an immense mistake to think that the abstention of people, especially Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), the millennials (born 1981 to 1996), and Generation Z (born 1997 or after), from voting means they are not aware of today’s social problems, the inequalities their generation faces, nor their willingness to act. Growing evidence suggests that it is a lack of faith in democratic institutions to solve today’s pressing challenges rather than ignorance of the stakes involved.
Failing to examine generational engagement trends may be a serious blind spot – and thus a threat to democracy.
Pay attention
It is a question that merits closer examination. When generations disengage, they are often saying they don’t have a high level of confidence or trust in existing economic, political, or social entities. They may also want to "opt-out" because they perceive that their generation is not being heard or treated fairly. Whatever their reasons, generational disengagement will ultimately have negative impacts beyond democratic engagement, with potential shockwaves on social stability, the well-being and mental health of individuals (the unemployed and their families), and individual and country-level economic productivity and quality of life.
With a challenge this large, and with so much at stake, more leaders and their institutions must place generational disillusionment at the top of their agenda and seek ways to turn the tide. It is my humble plea to the delegates of different political parties to feed the electorate with meritocratic leaders, although we know they are in short supply. Candidates who will tackle the economic challenges and lift many out of poverty and not politicians who are corrupt or uncaring and only know some parts of their constituencies during elections.
Political parties come and go, as do political leaders, but the nation is forever. It is, therefore, infinitely more important to put the "NEXT GENERATION’ higher on the agenda than "THE NEXT ELECTION’!
Private Citizen Faustinus Shikukutu
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