Editorial
Why do African leaders keep their health condition secret?
T
he death of President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli of Tanzania came as a rude shock to the world, he was a man who appeared to be strong, physically and mentally and doing great work for his country, his health didn’t seem an issue, he led the charge against non-existence of Covid 19 in his country but for a period of three weeks he disappeared from the radiance of his country that men and women started asking after their president. Unfortunately the now President, then Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan on state televised announcement confirmed the President has died and he died of heart failure conditions. The cause of his death has angered the populace pretty more that the people who elected him did not know of his health condition and how severe his heart condition was. There are now more rumors of foul play that he could have been poisoned or infected by Covid-19 virus deliberately but whatever the true story is, the question we are forced to ask is why African leaders keep their health condition secret from their people until their sudden death? Not long ago, Africa was mourning the passing of the outgoing president of Burundi, late Pierre Nkurunziza. Till today, the cause of his death is still debatable while many thinks he died from Covid-19 complications but the Burundi government claims it was a sudden brief illness associated with heart attack. He was just 55 years old. President Magufuli was 61 years old. From records, this has been like for decades that the ill-health of African leaders are kept secret and lies upon lies are told to the public until eventually the ultimate end of mankind - death forces them to accept that something is wrong. I could remember the late of Kenyan First Republic president Jomo Kenyatta, he had heart conditions and it was kept secret until he suffered mild stroke in 1968. His predecessor, retired president Daniel arap Moi caused a near-panic in 1996 when he went for a cataract operation in Israel owing to the fact that Kenyans were used to him making news headlines. Failing health of Michael Sata, president of Zambia (2014) who died in office, although he was 77, there were rumours of his failing health yet he contested and won and died in
6
www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com
United Kingdom. Prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi (2012) died in Belgium at 57 also of undisclosed infection. Then John Atta Mills, president of Ghana (2012) died in his home country of stroke and throat cancer at the age of 68. He won the presidential election in 2008 and was in office for Pastor Amb. Elvis Iruh Editor-in-Chief only three years. President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika died in 2012after he suffered a heart attack in April and died two days later at the age of 78. Bacai Sanha, the president of Guinea-Bissau suffered from diabetes and died in Paris after four years as president at the age of 64. Throughout his time in office, he suffered from several health complications and was continually in and out of the hospital and yet he would not step down or resign from office because of ill health. That of Nigeria was more dramatic, denial upon denial while President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was dying. During his first term, allegations of ill health were reported but it was denied until he died at 58. Advanced intestinal cancer killed President Omar Bongo in June 2009 in Barcelona, Spain, after being in office for 42 consecutive years. He died aged 72 and was one of the longest-serving rulers in history. His son who succeeded him is also battling poor health, he had suffered a mild stroke that he took several months of treatment in abroad before returning back home and he still hanging on to power. After 24 years, President Lansana Conte of Guinea died of undisclosed illness at the age of 74. He battled complications from diabetes and heart-related conditions. The question is now who is going to be the best. Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari has been rumored severally to be dead yet he is still governing the most populous black nation in the world, Nigeria. When would these leaders learn to quit from office on grounds of ill health which is nothing to be ashamed of. It is natural course of life.
