The tragic events in Tanzania, where state-perpetrated violence led to the deaths of thousands of unarmed citizens like 18-year-old Maria Matthew and grandmother Maria Martha Calembo, serve as a horrifying wake-up call for the entire continent. This is not just a Tanzanian crisis; it is a dark template that, if left unchallenged, promises a terrifying sequel for nations like Kenya and Uganda.
Advertisement
The core of Africa’s recurring leadership crisis lies in a dangerous cultural phenomenon: the elevation of our political leaders to the status of untouchable, semi-divine figures. This “god culture” is the bedrock of imperial presidency and the single greatest threat to true African progress.
The Messiah Complex: When Presidents Become Prophets
We have been conditioned by the inherited Western-style democracy to view the presidency not as an office of service, but as a throne occupied by a “messiah” who alone can save the nation.
In Kenya, this mentality has shielded leaders like former President Uhuru Kenyatta and continues to protect the current regime from the rigorous, objective scrutiny they deserve. When a Kenyan says, “How dare you speak about our Mzee?” or “You can’t critique him, he’s a prophet,” they are not defending the Constitution or sound policy—they are defending an idol. This misplaced loyalty, often rooted in tribal identity, strips the populace of its power and hands it over to the very people who are meant to be their servants.
The Tragic Irony: The “god culture” is what enables leaders to act with impunity. When the police kill innocent young protesters, as happened in Kenya in 2024, the slow pursuit of justice is a clear message from the regime: “We can kill, buy time, and life will move on because you fear our power more than you demand accountability.”
The Tanzanian Template: The Horror of Impunity
The violence in Tanzania, where estimates of the dead range frighteningly high, is a textbook example of state terror weaponized as a tool of governance.
The narrative put forth by the administration—that the unrest was a foreign-instigated “economic war”—is a desperate, ludicrous attempt to deflect from cold-blooded murder. The deaths of students, mothers, and workers like Samuel Mugima and Tina the truck driver were perpetrated by the Tanzanian security forces, acting through a clear chain of command.
The Way Forward: Justice and a Caretaker Government
Allowing the current administration to investigate crimes it perpetrated is absurd. The path to breaking the cycle of impunity requires international and local pressure:
Advertisement
- Judicial Verification: International bodies (ICJ, ICC, EACJ) must urgently verify the evidence of state-sponsored crimes against humanity.
- Caretaker Demand: Once verified, the international community must exert pressure for the immediate establishment of a caretaker government to oversee fresh elections.
- People-Led Justice: Tanzanian political leaders (like Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo), activists, and religious figures must pivot from party survival to leading the call for justice for every victim—demanding autopsies, exhumations of mass graves, and financial compensation to the families.
If Africa allows the Samia Suluhu Hassan template to stand, it will be signaling to every despot that state-sanctioned mass murder is an acceptable tool for retaining power.
The Solution: Killing the God and Empowering the Grassroots
How do we dismantle the imperial presidency and kill the “semi-god” culture?
- The Long-Term Vision: Reimagining Governance
We must normalize the conversation around changing our governance structure itself. Why is it about one singular person?
- Look to Alternatives: We need a robust national debate on Afrocentric forms of governance that deliberately kills the power of the imperial president. Why not explore models like Switzerland’s rotational presidency, where a council, not one messiah, holds power?
- Decentralize Power: The goal is a system where a president is truly compelled to be a servant, and where holding a public office is a calling, not a path to instant, untraceable wealth. As a rule, public sector officials should earn significantly less than their private sector counterparts.
- The Short-Term Action: The Grassroots Awakening
The ultimate power resides not in the presidency, but in the people, particularly the youth—Africa’s majority.
- Run for Office: Stop saying politics is a “dirty game.” If you have strong views, you have a responsibility to run for office yourself, or actively support a transformative, non-mainstream candidate.
- Normalize Accountability: Let us normalize treating presidents, governors, and MPs as servants. Let us stop giving them handouts and stop calling them “Honorable” out of fear. A truly accountable leader should be able to walk down the street with minimal security, just another citizen.
- Give Third-Party Candidates a Chance: Stop dismissing every potential transformative leader—from the grassroots to the national level—as “too idealistic” or a “puppet of the West.” That is the same rhetoric used to protect the corrupt status quo. The truth is, the West is simply giving back a fraction of the money it has stolen; if a candidate uses it to champion the people’s will, the people must hold them accountable, but give them a chance.
Parting Shot
The fear in your heart is the power in their hands.
African problems demand Pan-African solutions. We must operate borderlessly in our minds, realizing that the fate of Tanzania is inextricably linked to the fate of Kenya and Uganda.
The U.S. and Europe found systems that work for them; Africa must find a system that works for us, a system that celebrates and nurtures servant leadership, not messianic power.
Let the fear dissolve. Let the accountability begin.
We are not doomed. We are awakening.