Maravi

‘Don’t address presidents as father of the nation’

‘Don’t address presidents as father of the nation’
Written by Ernest Chanda
Monday, August 24, 2009 6:47:07 AM

LUSAKA Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu has cautioned Zambians against addressing a Republican president as father of the nation, saying the title is too excessive for a president.

In an interview, Archbishop Mpundu said people should always realise that a president is a servant of the people who cannot be a father of his masters.

"We know that chieftainship or kingship is respected by its own people [ubufumu bucindika abene], in this case the citizens. Surely he or she as head of government, the president must be a symbol of unity in the country, not a symbol of worship. But, apart from that, it is in my opinion almost like idolatry to refer to the president as father of the nation. Father of the nation, a title which is very excessive, giving excessive deference to the dignity of the president," Archbishop Mpundu said. "Surprisingly it is even used by our Christian religious leaders. If there's anything I don't want or expect from the president of this country, it's for him to be father or mother of the nation. I say so because I believe that fatherhood or motherhood is a rather transcendent kind of relationship especially with regard to a nation that comes only from God; the president is not like that."

Archbishop Mpundu said while parents embrace divergent views from their children, most presidents aim at crushing such views.

"Some proverbs teach us a lot in this regard. One such proverb says ing'andu ubukali bwaba munda [the crocodile's bitterness or poison is in its bowels]. This is a steady warning to commoners to beware of chiefs from the crocodile clan [abena Ng'andu] because they have deadly poison like that of a black mamba. This does not only refer to traditional chiefs, but also those we make chiefs through the ballot box," he said. "It refers to all authority and power, power is sweet. And those in power will do everything to eliminate any threat to their power, real or perceived. Parents are not threatened in anyway by children, and certainly they will not bite or inject them [children] with lethal venom or poison to kill them. Parents are happy that their children are growing up, voicing their opinions on numerous issues and becoming more independent."

He said a president could not in any way be compared to a parent in terms of care.

"...And this is exactly what the president is not. Any threat to his power, real or imaginary will be ruthlessly dealt with. And any contrary view, even a folk story by the likes of [Post columnist] Roy Clarke is regarded with a lot of suspicion: even regarded as seditious. At one time Roy Clarke was nearly deported, he was persecuted. Anyone else, apart from the President, must not be allowed on the public media," he said. "The people must shut up and put up with the never ending slogans of 'my new administration'. Under Mwanawasa we had the New Deal administration, even when everybody knew that there was absolutely nothing new. As they always say where I come from, umusha afwa notwebo mukanwa [a slave dies with words in his mouth: meaning that if you are not a prominent person in society none will have time to listen to you even if there is a lot of sense in what you are saying]."

Archbishop Mpundu reminded Zambians that African leaders were already obsessed with excessive power.

"There is an old saying by some old time philosopher that 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. But there's one sentence people forget that was said by the same philosopher. He said that almost all great men are evil men. Why should an individual representing the presidency be worshipped? There's no way! I hope that what I've said will ring some bells in those with wisdom," said Archbishop Mpundu.

Labels: PRESIDENCY, TELESPHORE MPUNDU

posted by MrK @ 5:49 AM