The lessons from Zimbabwe (August-3rd-2013)
Lesson 1: Put your best foot forward!
Tsvangariya was not the best man to run against Mugabe.
He has been leader of his party for how long?
Let me see.....
2002: Tsvangirai was the MDC candidate. He lost.
2008: Tsvangirai contested as the MDC-T candidate. He lost.
2013: Tsvangirai contested as the MDC candidate. He Lost.
I will be the first to concede that he did nothing wrong contesting and losing over and over again. Reagan for instance lost his party's nomination from 1968 up until 1980, Lincoln is a study in perseverance, Francois Mitterand lost 3 or 4 straight elections.... (we are talking 7-year election cycles!!)...In Africa however where resources are being squandered recklessly, in a global economy where decisions are made at the speed of light, you MUST put your best foot forward and dreams can not be deferred any longer than is absolutely necessary! Out-waiting incompetent leadership is no longer an option for most people in today's world - as Egyptians have shown the world!
Lesson 2: Win through superior strategy
Innovate, or abdicate - everyone loves to chant - in the assumption that it speaks solely to bumbling incumbency. It holds true for the opposition - as well.
One of the online comments on Tsvangariya I read says: "if you are not the fastest runner on the team, don't insist on carrying the baton last in the relay'. He has very few leadership qualities and made it easy for Zanu PF to expose him for the puppet he really is. Voters had no other choice but to default to Zanu PF"
That Tsvangariya is a committed democrat is not in dispute - but strategy matters - especially if failure is not an option - if it is, that is if failure is an option, then Strategy too is optional which brings me to my next point:
Don't waste your time!
Even psychologists have a name for it: Losers limp: Kids do it a lot - when they are far behind in a race, they fall down, grab their foot, and yell for help - and proceed to limp all the way back to their team box. Some even continue limping at school the following day - all because they failed to win!
Fact is: Most people do not care anymore if you claim an election was rigged anymore - especially if that complaint is straight out of Africa, from the candidate (Who expects to lose) as he heads straight out of the polling booth!
When failure is not an option, you will fight a good fight and when you lose, you will know you did your best, left no stone unturned, no road untraveled, no voters un-courted. The supreme irony in my view is this: When failure is not an option, it is then you are best prepared to accept it - should it occur.
Why? Because it is a failure you can learn from! You will even admire your opponent's strategy, review it and improve your 'ground game' for the next electoral battle.
...and when when failure is an option, you know what to do: head to court!
For Obama, failure was NOT an option.
He wasn't running just to get his name into the history books like Jesse Jackson before him, You just need to look past his smiling face and into his eyes and see the cold fire in them! (It is that cold fire which scares his opponents - the white establishment most!).
The problem with OUR opposition in Nigeria is that their failure at the polls is usually a system collapse! They come up with the same old same old drum-beating manifesto-less purposeless feel-good mega-festivals - where a good 50% of the attendees are either from the ruling party, or WILL vote for the ruling party!
The important lesson from Zimbabwe is: The man on top of the mountain didn't just fall there - he climbed there. I hope sincerely that the opposition is able to sweep the PDP from power. 16 years is enough time to show your mettle - in whatever field of Endeavor.
May 1997 in Cambridge on a factory visit I said to my host Mike Deighton (now late): I pray John Major wins
he replied: "Obi your prayers are wasted! 18 years is enough time for one party"
But he's such a decent man I protested
"Obi, - this is a democracy not a dictatorship. Major will definitely lose - this has nothing to do with his policies or leadership people have had enough!"
No comments:
Post a Comment