The African continent is a great region that has a fascinating history. It has had great leaders since ancient times to date. The Presidents that the continent has had before and now are great men and women who have remarkable histories and achievements. They have attempted to solve some of the challenges that the African continent is still facing today, such as a lack of unity. Some Presidents successfully solved some of these challenges but failed to do other things that needed much attention.
Women leadership in Africa is one of the greatest things that the continent has experienced, considering that people never believed in women when taking leadership roles and positions. Through women empowerment, some African states have had a female president.
Let us talk about three spectacular African Presidents, what they have achieved or done and what we can learn from them as a continent.
Julius Nyerere
Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian anti-colonial activist, politician, and political theorist. Julius Nyerere governed Tanganyika as Prime Minister from 1961-1962 and then as President from 1963-1964. Nyerere led Tanganyika’s successor state, Tanzania, as President from 1964 to 1985. A founding member of the TANU party (Tanganyika African National Union), which in 1977 became the CCM party (Chama Cha Mapinduzi), chaired it until 1990. Ideologically an African socialist and African nationalist, Julius Nyerere, promoted a political philosophy called Ujamaa.
Julius Nyerere was born in Butiama, and he was the son of a Zanaki chief. After finishing his schooling, Julius Nyerere studied at Makerere College in UG and later at Edinburgh University in Scotland. In the mid-20th century (1952), Julius Nyerere returned to Tanganyika, married, and worked as a teacher. Julius Nyerere campaigned for Tanganyika’s independence from the British power. Julius Nyerere managed to be in the Legislative Council in the 1958-1959 elections. Julius Nyerere then led TANU to victory at the 1960 general elections. Negotiations with the British government resulted in Tanganyika’s independence in 1961.
Julius Nyerere’s administration pursued decolonization and the Africanization of the civil service while promoting unity between local Africans and the state’s European and Asian minorities. Nyerere encouraged the formation of a one-party state and unsuccessfully pursued the Pan-Africanist formation of an East African Federation with Kenya and Uganda.
Following the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, Zanzibar Island got unified with Tanganyika to form TZ. After this, Julius Nyerere placed a growing emphasis on socialism and national self-reliance.
In 1967, Julius Nyerere issued the Arusha Declaration, which outlined his Ujamaa vision. During his time, banks, major industries, and firms got nationalized. The healthcare and education sectors expanded significantly. Renewed emphasis got placed on agricultural development through communal farms formation. However, these reforms disrupted food production and left regions dependent on Food Aid. Nyerere’s government also provided training and aid to anti-colonialist groups combating white-minority rule throughout the southern part of the continent. It oversaw Tz’s 1978-1979 War with UG, which resulted in Idi Amin’s overthrow.
Julius Nyerere was a controversial figure. Across the African continent, Julius Nyerere gained widespread respect as an anti-colonialist. In power, he received praise for ensuring that Tanzania remained stable and unified in the years following independence. Nyerere’s construction of the one-party state and the use of detention without trial led to dictatorial governance accusations. People have also blamed him for economic mismanagement. Tanzanians hold him in deep respect, and they refer to him by the Swahili word ‘Mwalimu.’ Besides, Tanzanians describe him as the Father of the Nation.
What we Learn from Nyerere
From the current achievements and failures of Julius Nyerere, current and future Presidents need to emphasize unity. They should also strive to promote economic development in their states and manage their economies well.
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki is a South African politician who served as the 2nd President of South Africa from 16th June 1999 to 24th September 2008. On 20th September 2008, with about 9 months left in his 2nd term, Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation after the ANC’s National Executive Committee called him following judge C.R. Nicholson’s conclusion of improper interference in the National Prosecuting Authority, including Jacob Zuma’s prosecution for corruption. On 12th January 2009, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned Judge C.R. Nicholson’s judgment, but the resignation stood.
During Mbeki’s tenure in office, the South African economy grew more than 4% annually, creating employment in the economy’s middle sectors. The Black middle-class expanded significantly with the implementation of BEE (Black Economic Empowerment). This growth increased the demand for trained professionals, whose numbers got strained by emigration because of violent crime but failed to address unemployment amongst the unskilled bulk of the population.
Thabo Mbeki attracted the bulk of the continent’s FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and made SA the focal point of African growth. He was the architect of NEPAD, whose goal or aim is to develop an integrated socio-economic development framework for the African continent. Mbeki oversaw the successful building of economic bridges to BRIC nations with the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum’s formation to further political consultation and co-ordination and strengthen sectoral co-operation and economic relations. The BRIC nations include Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Thabo Mbeki mediated in matters or issues in the African region, including Ivory Coast, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and some vital peace agreements. Thabo Mbeki oversaw the OAU transition (Organization of African Unity) to the AU (African Union). People blame his quiet diplomacy in Zimbabwe for protracting Robert Mugabe’s government’s survival at the cost of many lives and intense economic pressure on Zimbabwe’s neighbors.
Thabo Mbeki has received global criticism for his stance on AIDS. He questions the link between HIV and AIDS. He believes that the correlation between poverty and the AIDS rate in the continent was a challenge to the viral AIDS theory.
Thabo Mbeki’s prohibition of antiretroviral drugs in public hospitals is responsible for the premature deaths of over 360000 people.
What we learn from Thabo Mbeki
Just like Julius Nyerere, Thabo Mbeki also has his achievements and failures. Current African leaders need to continue with the spirit of economic development for Africa’s future. The essential thing that African leaders need to do is promote peace among themselves and other countries.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was born to Ellen Eugenia Johnson on 29th October 1938. Ellen Sirleaf is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th President of Liberia from 2006-2018. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the 1st elected female head of state in the African continent. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was born in Monrovia to a Kru-German mother and a Gola dad. She received an education at the College of West Africa. Ellen completed her education in the United States, studying at Harvard University and Madison Business College. Ellen Sirleaf returned to the Liberian state to work in William Tolbert’s regime as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1971-1974. Later, Sirleaf worked again in the West for the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the late 20th century, she got a cabinet appointment as Minister of Finance, serving to 1980.
Ellen worked for Citibank and later in the Equator Bank. Sirleaf returned to the Liberian state to contest a senatorial seat for Montserrado County in 1985, an election that got disputed.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf continued to participate in politics. She finished 2nd place at the 1997 presidential election, which Charles Taylor won. Ellen Sirleaf eventually won the 2005 presidential election and took office on 16th January 2006. People re-elected her in 2011. Apart from Ellen being the 1st elected female head of state in Africa, she was also the 1st woman in the continent elected as President of her state. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in acknowledgment or recognition of her efforts to bring women into the peacekeeping process. Ellen Sirleaf has received many more awards for her leadership.
In June 2016, Ellen Sirleaf became the Chair of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), making her the 1st woman to hold the position since its formation.
What we learn from Ellen Sirleaf
For this case, women are the ones who need to take much more from Ellen’s achievements than the men. As mentioned earlier, women participating in leadership positions is something incredible for the African continent. More women need to come out and hold such high positions and accomplish several firsts. Ellen’s participation in politics shows that a woman can do anything in whatsoever field. It also encourages other women and men to be brave and persistent in the things they aspire to achieve.
Just like Thabo Mbeki, Ellen Sirleaf also promoted peace. A general opinion is that women are better peacekeepers. With peace in Africa, the entire continent would come together hence promoting unity. And through unity, the continent might achieve its economic desires or goals.
These three African Presidents are unique and extraordinary. They helped the continent make significant steps in unity, peace, empowerment, and economic development. Africans should appreciate them. Besides, they should also follow their steps to take the African continent to the next level.
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