In Africa - Faith in politics

Etymology in the Arabic language has always fascinated me. I learnt recently that the word for politics, siyaasa, comes from the same word that is used to describe the training of a wild horse. It’s a powerful metaphor; more than just being fed and groomed daily, a horse needs to be loved and cared for.

Like training a horse, politics is a process of trial and error. Ghandi described ‘Politics without Principal’ as one of the most dangerous social sins communities fall prey to. Political corruption in the West is very refined; we write about it in books and joke about it over our lavish dinners. In developing countries however, the wide spread corruption is more apparent and its effects more tangible. It was with these thoughts percolating in my mind that I met with government official, Mr John Zoya, at the Malawi State Department for Health.

Mr Zoya gave a surprisingly compelling presentation; putting much of the grassroots work I had seen into context. He outlined various government projects to curb deaths caused by Malaria, the biggest killer in Malawi. Stopping only to ensure we were each served soft drinks, he detailed the various challenges that his department face and sketched out future plans and interventions.

But it wasn’t so much what he said; as much as it was the way he said it. He was a warm and attentive host. He had prepared well, and provided us with printed handouts of his presentation. I guess his open and sincere demeanor won me over. Granted he was better dressed and better fed than other health-care administrators I have met across Malawi, nonetheless he was a man of the people. He shook his head when reading the statistics of Malaria deaths last year, “These people should not be dying” he sighed. He keenly listened to our thoughts and reflections and made a point of writing down our contributions.

Training horses is no easy feat, but with no rider a wild horse is free to run rampant causing havoc and destruction. In a similar way, if the best of us fail to be involved in the political process, how then can we expect our governments to be perceptive of our every need? The irony is that I have never really had a passion for politics, nonetheless more and more I am coming to realize that engagement is not an option, it’s an imperative and men like John Zoya give me hope.

“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love.”

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