Leadership: Making the grade is not optional

Former Kirehe mayor Protais Murayire, stepped down after it emerged that he allegedly censured local leaders in his jurisdiction. Murayire barred them from expressing their opinion during a provincial assembly. “I am one of the old cadres of this nation,” he said shortly after resigning. The former mayor is among the top officials who have faced the consequences for falling short of the expectations required of leaders. Unfortunately, social media has been awash with speculation and what amounts to rumours following high profile individuals going under the axe, sometimes in very dramatic fashion. What was most amazing was the amount of traffic on many networks and the alarmist tone that became louder as another scion in Rwandan society was politely herded off his or her chair. But what many conveniently failed to mention was that (possibly to give more spice to their narrative of a looming crisis) those who fell on the wayside had no security of tenure, neither was it political inheritance that made them untouchable. They were just no longer making the grade. Another point is that political or military appointments are not static; retirements, transfers, demotions as well as promotions are all part of the game. But what those who occupy middle and high ranking posts need to know is that survival does not depend on level of cadreship, who you are or who you know, but rather on how one performs one’s duties. By now political actors should have learnt that there are no sacred cows – whether a historical political figure or an ordinary civil servant. The key word here is performance and delivery in the assigned duties. So, woe unto those who come from the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) fold; once the hammer falls, it will come down hard. The reasons are that the RPF is a very exigent organisation that does not allow mediocrity among its cadres, even though it is known to give some slack to first time offenders, once the cup of magnanimity has overflowed, the door is wide open. Many local and central government officials have passed through the door because they suddenly had the bug that defines demi-gods or village tyrants. As the saying goes, they had barked up the wrong tree and the only honourable thing left to do was to bow out. The RPF’s philosophy, it has repeatedly reminded those concerned, is that being a long-serving cadre does not give someone the right or privilege to chart one’s own course because all its parts work in tandem. There is no room for individuality or claiming credit for collective achievements. During a recent meeting President Paul Kagame held with the senior leadership of the RPF, he reminded them that there should be no feeling of entitlement simply because someone actively participated in the liberation of the country. No one owes them anything, he said, adding that corruption, arrogance and a feeling of entitlement were beginning to creep into top administrative echelons, therefore, the need to reinforce discipline among its ranks. Usually internal matters within the RPF remain just that; internal. But for the Chairman of the party (Kagame) to come out and give a hint as to why the rug was yanked under the feet of some senior officials, it was an indication that patience had run out and the water gone under the bridge. Now, with the RPF being the ‘engine’ that has been running this country for the last two decades, it cannot allow one faulty cog to interfere with the smooth running of a well-oiled machine. There are many newer and eager cogs standing by. The old generation is slowly handing the reigns to the young who never felt the full impact of the liberation struggle: the sacrifice, hardship and loss. The new kids-on-the-block grew up as the country was trying to reinvent itself and is well on its way. What lessons do they expect from their elders? The old guard should be there to guide the young so the old ghosts that haunted former governments: self aggrandisement, illegal accumulation of wealth and corruption tendencies, do not revisit the country again.

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Leadership: Making the grade is not optional