LET’S TALK ABOUT POLITICAL FREEDOM

“The great revolution in the history of man, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free.” - John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

Those in the know, describe the noun ‘freedom’, as: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. 

There are numerous definitions of freedom out there, but for the purpose of this article, the theme will  to the best of my two-cents, worth of opinion - be to briefly discuss one of the most, if not the most, controversial, types of freedom: namely, political freedom.

Political freedom, which is separated by a very thin line from human rights, is best described, according to www.povertycure.org, as: 

“The ability of a nation’s citizens to participate freely in the political process. It involves both the freedom of the majority to influence and guide policy (rather than merely entrenched insiders doing so) and the freedom of political minorities to publicly advocate for their positions. In the words of Lord Acton, ‘the most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities.’ Practically, this absence of coercion is expressed in such rights as freedom of the press, freedom of worship and freedom of assembly....”

Almost ever since the dawn of creation, mankind has yearned, and fought for some type of political freedom - the right to think, act, speak, etcetera, without impediment or constraint, especially from governing authorities, who muzzle all these rights. Sadly, since the introduction of the secular governance concept many centuries ago, rarely, if ever, has mankind attained total political freedom. 

Come to think of it, even the greatest authority over human affairs - the Word of God - through the writings of King Solomon, attests to that, ‘I have observed all this, and carefully considered everything that is undertaken on earth, especially the time when someone dominates another to his detriment....’ - Ecclesiastes 8:9 (ISV)

governments

Few, if any, global governments, had - ever since the introduction of a system whereby a group of elected (or imposed?) men constituting what is termed as government - had perfectly practiced the concept of total, political freedom (democracy) to the people under their rule. History is bloated with numerous accounts of governments who exercised (and some still do) a system of governance where the rights of their people were incessantly trampled upon. Dissenting voices ominously risk incarceration, with some ending up being assassinated.

The secular world leaders are corrupt and greedy; they hoard their countries’ wealth and resources to themselves, for their family members and cronies. In their greed, they neglect putting the interests of the people first, instead, look after their own interests. Gluttony and corruption are the hallmarks of their rule. Some consider themselves as being closer to God, demanding worship, expecting glory to be given to them - a glory which should be exclusively reserved for Jehovah, the Supreme Ruler of the universe.

Over the centuries, many global, undemocratic governments had oppressed their people, (and some continue to do so) such that this led to resentment and rebellion, resulting in insurgency, civil wars or revolutions. Led by fearless, gallant, freedom-fighters, some of whom were jailed or killed, the people of such countries eventually gained independence and political freedom from autocratic leaders and colonial rule. 

Here are some of the greatest and most celebrated African leaders, who fought for their countries’ independence, freedom and democracy. Africa has come a long way with regards to fighting for independence and democracy. Misrule and dictatorial tendencies, had been (and still continues in some countries) the hallmark of some African governments.

Sourced from www.africa.business.com:

1. “Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana - Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, formerly Gold Coast. He led the fight for Ghana’s independence in 1957. From prison, he led the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP) to win an election in February 1951. As a result, he was released to form a government in 1951 and pushed for the country’s total independence in 1957. He was a firm believer in African liberation and pursued a radical pan-African policy. This ideal led to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (now the African Union) in 1963. His legacy and dream of a ‘United States of African’ still remains a goal among many...”

2. “Patrice Lumumba, DR Congo - Patrice Emery Lumumba was the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo from June to September 1960. Lumumba was the leader of Movement National Congolais (MNC) party and played an instrumental role in the struggle for independence. He also continued to fight the influence of Belgium and other Western nations in the new country. This pitched him against the Western powers as he was unrelenting in his quest for the extermination of all signs of imperialism. He was assassinated at age 35 years old in 1961.

revolutionary

“3. Nelson Mandela, South Africa - He was the first black President of South Africa and the most celebrated African leader of modern history. Mandela led the anti-apartheid movement for over 50 years and was successful in ending the decades of racial discrimination against the black natives by the white minority. During his presidency, Mandela focused on reconciliation and ensured all was done to avoid a repeat of apartheid, i.e the blacks maltreating the whites, and unification of the country. Mandela died in 2013 aged 95...”

“4. Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, Egypt - Gamal Abdel Nasser is fondly referred as the father of modern Egypt. His ideas and influence still hold sway in the North African country. At present, there is a movement known as Nasserism in Eygpt and many Arab countries. Nasser led the obliteration of monarchical rule in Egypt in 1952 and introduced many reforms.

wholeheartedly

All the mentioned great men believed wholeheartedly in a vision - the emancipation of their people from unjust colonial rule, racial discrimination and autocratic rule. That said, it was with a sense of shock and sadness when I received news of the passing away of Mr. Mario Masuku, former President of the proscribed, popular, progressive movement, Insika ye maSwati, (PUDEMO).The sad news spread like wildfire in the  country, last week. His death followed closely in the footsteps of the sad demise of another freedom fighter stalwart, Jan Sithole.The late Sithole also fought tirelessly and with all his might for a democratic Eswatini.

 Both men sacrificed their freedoms, comforts of life in their quest of bringing change in a country riddled with corruption, inequality and a whole lot of other injustices.

Mr. Masuku spent a larger part of his progressive life, in and out of prison. Sickly though he was in the later stages of his life, he never gave up fighting for his dream of a free Eswatini. It is with a heart-wrenching pain that I join the thousands, who mourn his untimely passing away, after having not realised his life-long ambition of eventually seeing a better Eswatini. 

Rest in peace, Nhlane. Your legacy shall live on...You have earned your decorated space in the annals of history, joining other great men in the calibre of those aforementioned. Shalom!

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