That all Rwandese are united to the cause of the continuity of the current miraculous social economic transformation is not accidental, it is an issue that has brought a unity of purpose across board among of all Rwandans regardless of social status and creed. And unlike in other countries where such a project is driven by elitists and other small interest groups, in our case all Rwandese are special interest group.
{ {{No Influence:}} }
In most countries (which have no parallel whatsoever with our unique context and should be viewed in the extreme isolation/special case), third term projects are political and managed by special interest groups which benefited from the incumbent/outgoing leadership, this scenario does not arise in our case. This is a value free choice by Rwandese of all shades. Such special interest groups as cronyism, tribalism, regionalism, religious entitlements of all sorts whose vested interests in the underlying system are the architects of such projects, this is not in our case.
Much as a number of African political systems are anchored or survive in one way or another on some form of entitlements/patronage based either on religion, region, ethnicity, elitism, cronyism etc and these breed systematic corruption which then creates a symbiotic relationship between these groups and leaders in place so much so that, the end of the system defines the end of entitlement to such groups which then fight tooth and nail to keep such systems in place by hook or crook including amending the constitution to sustain their special privileges, this situation does not pertain in Rwanda. In Rwanda every Rwandese is entitled, and every Rwandese is a special interest party to the continuity of our stability of our country.
President Kagame has demystified the common African political dispensation that for a leader to survive/lead he has to have a captive political constituency that comes in various forms which ensures the survival of the regime and without which the regime is no more. From Ministers to Members of Parliament, Generals to Director Generals we are all brought together by unity of purpose ie to contribute to the development of Rwanda. You join our government not to gain fame or perks that comes with the office, but rather to render a service to our people without counting the costs and benefits to self. This is unique in Africa, where appointment to office is a ‘turn to eat’ and enrich your kith and kin.
In fact, Rwandese public service up to Presidency is purely a service and a sacrifice that does not exist even in the western dispensation where a position is a bridge to future fame/benefits. Which is why this is a project like no other, as the demands by all Rwandese who have equally benefited from the exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame are only value loaded by the delivery that cuts across all social groups regardless of social status, ethnicity, gender and religious affiliation .
This should inform foreigners not to confuse Rwanda with another country which change their constitutions for the benefits of special interest groups rather than for common good. All of us are winners and or losers in this project. A loss would be priceless and that is why all have avoided the same by choosing to stay course of continuity of stability.
{ {{Demands that have never been}} }
Political marketeers powered by negative energy especially genocide deniers, revisionists and negotionists and their allies have moved speculative social media outburst that President Paul Kagame in fact wants third term. This is perhaps the most bizarre assertions from these groups whose ideologue of extermination of Tutsis is as strong as it has always been.
In fact, if President Paul Kagame had requested for third term, it would have been the easiest of the debates/assignment. This debate would not have been in the first case, and he would have got third term handed to him by Rwandans on a gold platter. Given his exemplary performance nothing would have been on his way to the third term. None at all.
This debate is on for the precisely the same reason that he did not believe and did not want third term at all. Demands from all Rwandese of all shades and especially those that signed petitions now under parliamentary consultations will hopefully change his mind and accede to popular demands for him to keep delivering on the miraculous social transformation we have registered against all odds possible. And as such any other narrative to the contrary is political opportunism and distortional in the extreme. But such cannot change the will of a people whose existential threats are imminent if this project fails, which in my opinion is next to impossible given our context that is highly fragile to gamble with.
{ {{Why President Kagame and No Other}} }
At the risk of repeating myself (no apologies here) the choice of President Kagame should be viewed critically especially by those who are not familiar with our country. For starters this is a man who for over 30 years was a refugee (like most of us), and did not have the luxury of a home denied to him by a regime for who he was rather than what he did/didn’t do like most of us. This past is a school like no other depending on how one learns his/her lessons from it. He did. It shaped his outlook to his life, and to his country for which he was prepared to die. And so when the battle to liberate Rwanda was lost on day one in 1990, with all good generals we had he had to come from USA and changed the course of the war for good. His taking over the command of the war was to be a game changer, considering that this war was mission impossible.
These comrades were fighting a combined force of xFAR The French military and similar financial mighty, at some point Congolese army, and even Kenyan army. These had a supportive environment that was fed into serious hatred against Tutsi (dubbed cockroaches). This was against RPA which had literally nothing except a will and determination to go back home. That President (Then General Kagame) can win this war against all odds unimagined was heroic in the extreme sense of the term. And for Rwandese returning home (including this write) is an eternal debt that is priceless. Among his own coming back from almost eternal exile (for Rwanda was too full to accommodate her own), President Kagame was and is an eternal hero, an icon of hope for a people that were left hopeless by all.
{ {{A war that should “never have been”}} }
Furthermore, the other heroic action that defined the person of President Kagame was to remove dictator Late Mubutu Seseko Kuku wa Zabanga, who harboured interehamwe militias across our borders in DRC. This was yet another mission terribly impossible. Indeed it is said that American military strategists who were to comment on this war had seriously advised against it so much so that, they hinted to a filed mission impossible with catastrophic consequences to our country. According to reliable sources, these strategists argued that it would take 20 years for RPA troops to reach Kinshasa if ever they did. Their argument was strong and based on the environmental constraints of fighting through the jungles of DRC Congo. There were no roads to talk about which would constrain the logistic of our military supplies. Also given the size of Congo (larger than the size of western Europe and 90 times the size of our country) and more than three hours flight from Kigali, this was an ambitious dream according to these strategists and indeed a none starter. Nonetheless, this terribly mission impossible was to be possible and our troops took only five months to reach Kinshasa a distance of 2000 km on 17th May, 1997, and toppled late Mobutu and his FDLR backers. And although Uganda lent support, our motive to fight was driven by existential threats that not fighting exposed to our country. This was another credential to the person of President Kagame, who I can say with absolute certainty that, getting another Rwandese to fit his CV is just impossible for now and for when?
{{After Mission Impossible:}}
After the humanly impossible wars he had to fight to stop genocide when all had left Rwandese to finish Rwandese. If it wasn’t for RPF Ideologue of inclusive and none sectarian Rwanda, the so called second genocide would have taken place for every RPA combatant literally lost a loved one to the interahamwe, and revenge was possible to the extreme. Genocide revisionists who lament that it happened are mere jokers. Humanly speaking, there would have been extensive revenge killing (not genocide) by RPA, but for good leadership under President Paul Kagame this was not to be. Serious restraint and discipline prevailed over human instincts to do the reverse. This was to win the hearts of suspicious Rwandans who were in the country, and was beginning of reconciliation. Besides this, President Kagame convinced the victims of genocide to forgive the perpetrators of the same, and both trusted him to unite a society driven apart by the heinous crime. A model of reconciliation that is not easy to replicate as one cannot replicate President Kagame’s high moral authority.
{{Another Mission Impossible}}
After 1994, former President Pasteur Bizimungu (19th July, 1994 to 23rd march, 2000), was to rule Rwanda with a style that those who served under him saw as only akin to what we have in other failed states that keep such a state for far too long. His performance in our history as a people and country remain inconsequential to say the least. President Kagame who then headed Defence and Vice President had to step in to rescue a failed state we were. It was mission impossible that he could win a social-economic war against all odds impossible, and turn round a country against all odds impossible and within 15 years of his leadership remake Rwanda to what it is today with meagre resources human and financial is extreme innovative leadership. His exemplary delivery that worn him the trust of Rwandese of all shades and creed as well as many foreign friends to the extent that, no one can even imagine Rwanda with President Kagame.
His record is too high to march, too great/priceless to lose, too envious to hate. This is one of us, whose heroic actions to our country has certified him both on war front, economic as well as social fronts so much so that, getting someone with qualities/values/virtues close to his now and when is impossible. Which is why as I have pointed out severally, this home work exposes our country to existential threat. A threat that is real and one we can’t afford. Thus continuity supersedes transition now, and for sometime to come. Only Rwandese can decide when, and not whether. Unity of Purpose
{{ {To be continued… } }}
Professor Nshuti Manasseh.
Economist and Financial Expert.
Email: nshutim@gmail.com.
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