The leader and founder of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, has advised former African presidents to refrain from making the governance of their successors challenging.
Speaking at a public dialogue organized by the pressure group AriseGhana in Accra on Tuesday, January 23, Mr Malema emphasized that former presidents should assume the role of statesmen, participating in state visits at home and avoiding engagement in opposition to their successors.
He insisted that former presidents should not interfere in the affairs of ruling presidents and should be held accountable without involving themselves in any civilized democracy.
“You have to ensure that democracy matures in such a manner in Africa, where the previous president does not make it his business to fight the current president, you must allow the new to lead with all their force because you were the same, it doesn’t mean you are perfect”.
“No African leader, who is on retirement, should lead from the grave. They must all be like all other progressive former presidents who are statements at home, waiting for courtesy visits and consultations, and attending to other state functions. Those are the duties of former presidents because Africa must be stable, Africa must go through democracy at all times,” Mr Malema said.
Mr Malema stressed the importance of allowing democracy to mature in Africa, where former presidents peacefully allow the new leaders to take charge.
He urged them to be like other progressive former presidents who remain statesmen at home, participating in courtesy visits, consultations, and other state functions.
Encouraging African leaders not to impose themselves beyond constitutional requirements, Malema highlighted the democratic principle of peacefully exiting when voted out of power.
He called on all African leaders to leave office without resorting to military intervention, emphasizing that no one is born a leader, and political office should not be left with a coffin.
“We call on all African leaders not to leave an office with a coffin. When the time comes for them to go they must leave without calling the army to to extend their term” he said at an event in Accra organised by Arise Ghana, titled, ‘A Day of Dialogue With Julius Malema.’
“No one is born a leader. No one is a traditional leader in a political office. If you want to be a traditional leader, go and fight in your tribe for those types of issues. We don’t subscribe to people who want to leave a political office with a coffin,” he added.