Tendai Ruben Mbofana
Even the wisest man to walk the earth, King Solomon, thoroughly understood this fact – maybe, by virtue of his own mistakes, which he made as a result of his tremendous wealth and power, leading to living a life of opulence and frivolity, filled with worldly pleasures and numerous wives – which, at the end of it all, he finally realized was just but a passing shadow, had no real meaning, but rather filled with misery, fear, and discomfort.
Vanity – that which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
I only managed to catch the last part of the live broadcast of today’s official opening of the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) by the country’s president, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
In spite of the usual parachute jumps by people I suspected were members of the defence forces, the only other event I witnessed was the departure of Mnangagwa from the venue – as he boarded his long motorcade.
I could not help feeling a tinge of sadness and even pity, as I watched a horde of security personal surrounding the presidential car (ZIM 1), after which they proceeded to run along its sides – in what I considered a strange way of protecting someone seated in a vehicle.
Anyway, what I found most disturbing, leaving me with an element of sorrow in the depths of my heart – was the entire essence of this whole painstaking performance.
I asked myself – why?
Why would anyone feel that they needed to be protected in such a manner?
Why would someone desire life, and be terrified of death and dying, to such a frightening extent that elaborate efforts would be put in place to safeguard his very existence
The irony of it all is that, he will certainly pass away – just as each and every one of us!
Yet, due to the sophisticated training, as well as enormous monetary and manpower resources clearly expended simply in the preserving of one individual’s life – one would be excused for thinking that this was a sure way of guaranteeing eternal life.
Surely, should leadership not be more about serving the ordinary people, and ensuring that they, at least, enjoyed the best life during their stay here on planet Earth – than spending one’s life immersed in some delusions of grandeur, as the Alpha and Omega of the country, and a cut above everyone else?
Would it not make sense focusing more on leaving behind another type of eternity – that of a lasting legacy of having provided the country’s citizenry the dignified, respectable, and decent livelihood worthy of people created in the image and likeness of God?
Should a leader’s life not be characterized more for their simplicity, and an unparalleled desire to make the lives of others better than his own?
In fact, what does servant leadership entail?
Is it not about placing the interests of the nation ahead of one’s own?
How then, is this servant leadership exhibited when the obsession of the leader is self-preservation – instead of the preservation of the dignity of that elderly widow, vulnerable orphaned child, parents who are failing to take care of their families, or workers who toil and sweat the entire month for money that is not even enough to purchase the most basic of necessities?
Is there not more profit in that?
What merit and credit is there in a president who believes is worthy of the right to life more than any other citizen?
Then again, sage King Solomon knew better – all is vanity!
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, researcher, and social commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936 / +263733399640, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com
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