If you were having coffee with me, I would be happy as usual to have you visit, I am sure you know your way around, feel free be at home have seat, as long as its not on my favourite spot… It brings out the dictator in me, when someone sits on my spot even though my name isn’t written on it, you should know, its mine, and what’s mine is mine, and I would do anything to cling onto my favourite spot… I worry that we live life being a few votes away of being power-hungry despots.
If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that on the 15th of September our president turned 78, our former late president lived to 94, he was in power for close to 4 decades till the coup not a coup business which saw him resign at age 92 when he was the ruling party presidential candidate for the elections that were to occur a year later.
Africa has this strange demographic of having presidents much older than their population and they have a particular affinity for holding onto power once elected..
I guess the old adage holds true, power corrupts and absolute power, absolutely…
To put it into perspective about 80% of the Zimbabwean population was born after independence in 1980, close to 80% of Ugandans were born after their president got into power in 1986… The average age of an African president is 62, while the median age of Africa’s population is 19.5
When Mugabe was asked why he kept running for presidency, his simple reply was that no one else had the experience he had being at president… Well, Mr President how would anyone else get the experience of running a country, if you never let anyone else have a go… Succession politics was definitely a contributing straw to his being manoeuvred into resignation in 2017. It must be a rush to have so much power…
If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that the mediation attempt by South African didn’t quite achieve anything except exposing how even South Africa also suffers from the syndrome where one cant separate between government and party.
See the ANC (South African ruling Party) sent over a delegation to talk to ZANU PF (Zim ruling pary) and they hitched a ride aboard a SANDF (South African Defence Forces) Airforce Plane which was on government business as the South African defence minister was travelling to Zimbabwe to attend some defence business stuff. Anyway, South Africans were of the opinion that the delegates should have paid for their own way as they were conducting party business and not state business..
One of the differences between South Africa and Zimbabwe is when people call out an irregularity, it gets addressed without anyone being arrested for inciting violence or trying to subvert a constitutionally elected government…
The say the youth are the future leaders, but the future is constantly silenced…
Meanwhile, the opposition party seems to be stuck in its own succession woes and its had factions fighting over who gets to use the party’s name… For all their talk of change and democracy, and building incorruptible institutions, they seem like they just becoming exactly the strong man politics which they seek to stop…
Schools are set to open in a week for exam classes, after a six months break. Some elite private schools had been doing online class. According to Portraz mobile internet usage increased by 56.2% while internet penetration went down by 2.4% Fewer people could afford the internet and those who could, used more, another sign of the ever-widening gap between those with and those without.
Teachers don’t seem too keen on schools re-opening and teachers unions are already citing how their salaries will not be enough and chances are that if schools open, teachers will start an industrial action. There’s also the tiny matter of the government saying it will avail dedicated bus services for all teachers and students but looking at the track record, its hard to put faith in that solution.
If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that South Africa has relaxed its lockdown to level one and since ours usually copies from that model ours will probably do so too, business hours have already been extended and inter-city travel to be allowed, it would be difficult to have schools opening under the current crop of lockdown restrictions.
If you were having coffee with me I would ask you, what you would do if you were president? I think life would be better if I were president, well, for me anyway…
~B
PS one of my favourite festivals is going digital this year, so see you there Shoko Festival
Becoming The Muse 
Hey Beaton, your blog is awesome. Thanks for sharing on whats happening in your neck of the woods.
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Thank you I appreciate the visits
~B
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One quote caught my attention,“They say the youth are the future leaders, but the future is constantly silenced…”….this is a drops mic moment.
Schools in Uganda are set to open but for finalists.I`m still wondering how they will pull it off.
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Yep I just of hid that mic drop moment in there somewhere ^_^
This whole school thing is going to be wild, I think they should just treat this as some sorta gap year and then start again next year, like for example now they want all teachers to go back to but what will the ones who dont teach non-final classes be doing, but then if they say they should stay at home the others will probably complain that they getting paid for nothing lol
Not to metion how behnd the learners are…
When are schools in UG set to open?
~B
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Schools in UG are opening on 15 October but only for finalists,they will do second term and then third term will be in January 2021. But we are wondering where the other students will go since they won’t be in school.ots confusing and I don’t think it was well thought through. They should have left this year as a gap year.
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Thank you for the coffee! As I’m reading I’m thinking it’s nice to have term limits and I can’t imagine having a president for like 30+ years? And how strange that he’s older than more than half the population! And governments sure are interesting and strange too… It’s all very interesting and I must say a little confusing but still fun to share coffee over it all…. 🙃🤠 Thanks for sharing!
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We didnt have term limits until a constitution amendment in 2013 which limits the term in office to two five year terms, our president has so far served 2 years of his first term and it feels like much longer
looking at the history of African presidents they can grant themselves the power to extend term limits such as in Ivory Coast and Guinea where the president are now seeking to go for a third terms although they classify it as being the will of the people
I guess once you realise you can get away with anything nothing can stop you
thanks for visiting
~B
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Beaton, have you ever read H Metro ? I ask because we microfilmed that newspaper at my job. I just think it’s cool that I know someone online from the country of that paper. 😁
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Hahahaha I know the H Metro I am curious why you would microfilm it. I kinda of like reading the H Metro the “news” in it is more typical tabloid sensational news… You could say its a breath of fresh air (even though its gossipy) in a world where the other newspapers are more politically oriented rhetoric.
Interesting to know that its known outside the country hahahaha
~B
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I don’t know my man, the client is called Center for Research Libraries…I would hate to think they think it’s a legit paper, thanks for saying otherwise there are a lot of outrageous articles.
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Beaton, you have a fascinating way with words! I thoroughly enjoyed the read. It’s true: “power corrupts and absolute power, absolutely…” — you’re absolutely right to share this wise quote. The longer people remain in power, the more delusional they often become. Politics these days has hit an all-time absurdity rate in many countries. I am sorry to hear it is true for your country as well. Although, I must admit, reading more about life where you are was very interesting.
I pray that some day, there will be true, lasting peace. A world where every voice is heard and every life matters. Oh, what a dream indeed! All of my best to you, across the many miles.
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Thank you Holly
Sometimes it seems like the world has its collective mind and politics is all a grand scam.
Hopefully one day in soon life will turn out a little more ideal Oh what a dream indeed
Thank you for visiting
~B
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I wholeheartedly agree with you, Beaton! And you are most certainly welcome!
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Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I would hold onto power as long as I could. What’s better than amassing money while you do whatever you want?
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… doing whatever you want sounds like fun… but you will need an exit plan otherwise when the cows come home to roost it will be a barnyard opera… I guess thats why some of these cant leave
~B
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That’s why you assure you have a helicopter and an island somewhere.
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owning an island !!! Goals
~B
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