As the Gabonese nation prepares to go to the polls, I've been thinking about them and the question of succession in African leadership.
When President Omar Bongo Ondimba entered the earthly departure lounge in a Spanish hospital back in June, his ensuing death threw into motion the need to go back to the goddess of democracy and offer the sacrifice of a vote to choose a new leader. We do this, every now and then, us Africans. We say goodbye to the dead leader and go and choose another one as if the process of choosing is unique and new, like picking out a new car with your insurance money when you've pranged the last one.
But will the vote bring a new car to the Gabonese? Is it the same make of car but a n
ewer model?
I'm particularly fond of my classic Mercedes, which came off the production lines in the year I was born, and I have no wish to trade her in for one of those newer Mercedes with ridiculous names like Kompresser and shiny metal skin that attracts bimbos.
But as you know, old presidents are not like old classic cars - they are not built like a tank with immortal design flair and their skins will sag and death will call on them one day as it calls on all of us - but their successors can certainly be newer models of the same make of car.
Same car, new model
When President Omar Bongo Ondimba entered the earthly departure lounge in a Spanish hospital back in June, his ensuing death threw into motion the need to go back to the goddess of democracy and offer the sacrifice of a vote to choose a new leader. We do this, every now and then, us Africans. We say goodbye to the dead leader and go and choose another one as if the process of choosing is unique and new, like picking out a new car with your insurance money when you've pranged the last one.
But will the vote bring a new car to the Gabonese? Is it the same make of car but a n
ewer model?I'm particularly fond of my classic Mercedes, which came off the production lines in the year I was born, and I have no wish to trade her in for one of those newer Mercedes with ridiculous names like Kompresser and shiny metal skin that attracts bimbos.
But as you know, old presidents are not like old classic cars - they are not built like a tank with immortal design flair and their skins will sag and death will call on them one day as it calls on all of us - but their successors can certainly be newer models of the same make of car.
Same car, new model
