Will Castrating Tyrants Help?

by Hama Tuma

The rest of the world has not got it yet. Many still think that Africa’s major problems concern famine, AIDS, conflicts and wars, poverty, rigged elections, nepotism and corruption, fevers of all types that are said to originate from the continent and more. How wrong. No one knows Africa like its cruel tyrants and they have time and again told the world that Africa’s problems are elsewhere.

Tyrants in Africa are often considered as lazybones but this is also very wrong. Our tyrants are very busy souls, often burning the midnight oil to find ways and means of making our lives more miserable. They are hardworking busy bees. Bringing famine to a country with fertile land and a hardworking peasantry requires not only talent but diligence. Organizing rigged elections is not child’s play even if it has been done before and experience gained. Getting money out of the tight fisted World Bank requires finesse and persistence. Even if the West wants to go along, convincing it that a one party regime is basking in a multi party system requires not only shamelessness but also hard work. Siphoning off the revenues from oil and minerals to one’s private bank accounts demands not only perfidy and greed but vigilance and diligent activity as it is a 24 hour undertaking, seven days a week and tolerates no slackening. Contrary to photos of overfed dictators dozing or napping at international meetings, our tyrants are addicted workaholics, as dictatorship and laziness do not go together. Oppression is no joke and exploitation demands indefatigable energy.