Dreams of the average citizen

Quest for independence and liberty for the average citizen has turned into an illusion never to be achieved. Things must change from the average citizen being held hostage to the whims of the propertied to the propertied accounting for their wealth and the public challenging the disproportionate distribution of power. The public needs to fight back at the socio-politically unhealthy consolidation of power in politicians and the elites. Decisions on how power and resources are distributed must be local in nature not an outcome of the conversations of the wealthy elite – the poor and rich share the same rights.

While political independence may have empowered governments in Africa, the role the average citizens have played in the making and sustaining of the places and communities they live in has diminished to almost extinction. Never in our history has so much been decided for so many by so few. We are facing a calamitous situation unless we change direction and prioritise the average citizen.

Inequality in the distribution of power goes way back in the history of human society and is unlikely to be completely eradicated in our lifetime, but moral cowardice is not an option, we will not yield in advance. What is required are strong socio-political structures to govern its impact. The distribution and access to power and resources must be governed by human necessity not dictated by exposure (or lack of) to financial means.

Fair distribution of power has long-term benefits for the prosperity of society. All social classes deserve protection from harm posed by the corruption of morality that arises from unchecked power; both the elite and the average citizen should hold power to defend against each other’s oppression.

With that in mind, it is imperative that leadership structures and office holders reflect society in its entirety; they must not be a projection of the landed elites’ interests. Power must be accountable to the people, not the other way around nor the bank balance.

 Money in politics, as evidenced in the USA, is a cancer that destroys the moral fabric of human society. Because of money, representatives no longer represent their constituencies but the highest bidder. Instead of reflecting public needs and desires, policy is influenced by corporate business, lobby groups and rich individuals; essential decisions about taxation, access to resources, environmental protection, access to healthcare, etc., are made without consultation of and the contribution of the poor.

Changes in how we do politics are overdue. As alluded to above, financial influence in politics is the biggest handicap to any political space. While we cannot ban the presence of money in politics, we can devise measures to prevent the unfair impact on political processes, where its effects can be negative. We must not acquiesce to dictates of the elite; we must take away or significantly reduce the private finances’ role in election campaigns so that the rich do not ‘purchase’ power and the poor do not vote their rights and interests away for meagre, short-term financial ‘gifts’.

Representative power structures and leaders must be reflective of society not a parade of the wealthiest in society. It is for that reason that localisation of governance must be a priority; we believe there are greater opportunities for progress and reduction of waste in the system when we empower localised problem-solving mechanisms. The average citizen understands his needs and priorities well enough to inform policy decisions on specific areas of need.

Instead of maintaining policies that promote accumulation and consolidation of power within the wealthy elites and leave the average person at the mercy of the rich, we must change direction to focus on the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution of power and resources across society. Decisions about community land, water supplies – dams, pastures protections, building of roads, security lights installations, etc., must be made by communities that will be impacted, one way or the other, by the decisions. There needs to be protections so the rich no longer have a pass to use their financial muscle to purchase away the rights of the average citizen.

The average person dreams of independence, personal growth and prosperity; significantly, the public want less government and more community control of resources and the environment they live in. Localisation of everything is paramount to the participation of locals in local solutions and related progress. Contemporary Africa is overseeing a lot of failings because of the lopsided belief in more government control by former liberation movements who have consolidated power. Their modus operandi is the imposition of the same approach in every community by central government to address challenges. But every community is different from any other. If we are to create sustainable development, we must acknowledge specificity is everything and that empowering local governance structures can be the most efficient use of public funds.