Julius Malema, The Commander-In-Chief of South Africa’s political group, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has emphasized that former presidents should contribute to the maturation of democracy in Africa.
He asserted that their role should not involve opposing incumbent presidents.
Speaking at a public dialogue organised in Accra by Ghanaian socialist pressure group known as AriseGhana on Tuesday, He urged all African leaders to exit from office without resorting to military interventions to prolong their terms, emphasizing that leaving office without creating turmoil is essential.
“We call on all African leaders not to leave an office with a coffin, when the time comes for them to go, they must leave without calling the Army to extend their tenure, no one is born a leader, no one is a traditional leader in a political office. If you want to be a traditional leader, go and fight in your tribe for those types of issues, we don’t subscribe to people who want to leave a political office with a coffin,” he added,” he said.
To him, leaders need to foster a mature democracy in Africa, where former presidents do not engage in conflicts with their successors.
“You have to ensure that democracy matures in such a manner in Africa, where the previous president does not make it his business to fight the current president, you must allow the new to lead with all their force,” he said.
The Commander-In-Chief of South Africa’s political group, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) further blamed the economic woes of Ghana on corrupt officials in government, emphasizing that their persistent mismanagement of funds has led to a situation where a small elite amasses wealth at the expense of the wider population.
He elaborated that such corruption has hampered Ghana’s ability to meet its foreign debt obligations, leading to a form of indirect colonialism, a scenario that Dr Kwame Nkrumah strived to prevent.
This he stressed poses a threat to Ghana’s Democracy which has been a beacon of peace admired by many across the globe and especially within the African Continent.
“Corruption is a threat to a wonderful democracy anywhere because it’s eating on the moral fibre of a democratic dispensation.
We must never celebrate anyone who is corrupt or seek to defend the corrupt individuals irrespective of our political affiliation,” he added.
He bemoaned the aftermath of persistent corruption on the African youth as he believes corruption today will disable the future youth in developing their countries.
Julius Malema, therefore, asked the youth not to be influenced by money offered to them by politicians but rather fight to the core against corruption without backing out with criticisms
“If you value yourself, if you value the future of this continent, you must stand tall and unashamedly fight corruption everywhere it rises its ugly head. Don’t care who says what. You must always speak truth to power. It doesn’t matter who gets offended,” he said.
“The truth remains the truth whether you’re standing, sitting or sleeping. The truth will never change,” he added.
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