This ‘electromiasis’ infection will go away—don’t lose your head!

By JENERALI ULIMWENGU

Someone tell these hotheads prancing up and down, shouting themselves hoarse that they are alright, that they are okay, they are just afflicted by what may be called ‘electromiasis’, which visits us here every five years and attacks the Americans every four years.

They are alright, basically because the apparent derangement they may display today can be put down to a certain fever that grips all of us every so many years when we are told it is the season to unfurl our banners, and reactivate our bandwagons anew because we are once again electing what we call our ‘leaders’.

This is the period when the most insane people emerge from no one knows where to tell us they have just discovered that they were made for us, that they have been made aware by the Almighty that they are just what the doctor ordered for all the ills that have been plaguing us all along, that tomorrow cannot choose but be a better, brighter day just as long as we choose them to be councillor, MP or president.

Young man

Yes, they are okay because this is election time, and at times like these it is too costly to think too much. Just follow your gut feeling and everything will be okay. It will be alright for the young man who has sold his mother’s goats and chickens to raise money for his campaign for a seat on the district council only to discover even his mother did not vote for him though she was a voting member of the party.

It will be explained to the young aspirant that his campaign was ‘right as rain’ and that he is the future of the district, only he has to ‘talk well to the elders’ who have not had the advantage of knowing him well, meaning in effect that you don’t get people who matter to know you well by spending, what you collected from selling goats and chickens. You see, people must eat and that requires some dough.

To the eager firebrand who thinks it is time to dislodge the tired old-guard who has overstayed their welcome, there is just that glimmer of hope that his/her hope of sending some of us to our early graves will be answered favourably, and it could easily be effected with divine intervention. But not so fast, sweetie, not so fast. Do not be so sure of what you get after us.

Look at the Americans, for instance, who are also embroiled in their own electoral gripes, with two old men wrestling over who between them could offer hope to an impatient young electorate worried about jobs and futures, and the two just don’t seem to get it.

To watch the two huge tribal armies (Democrats and Republicans) shadowboxing summons visions of our own African tribal wars, where the two main formations will slaughter each other with abandon until they both tire of bloodletting and seek some compromise clobbered together by donors and humanitarians.

Only this time around there is a slight difference, and this could be a unique opportunity for the African Union.

We may be required to intervene in American electoral politics if Donald Trump loses the election in November and refuses to quit. For once, the AU, long used to intervening in African intra-national disputes, may find itself offering its expertise on how to dislodge Trump. We Africans know something about that.

Electoral team

In the meantime we will be watching as the Trump electoral team changes tack and pile up dirt on Kamala Harris, having been disappointed that Trump did not pick Trump’s favourite choice for Biden’s running mate (if you see what I mean) Susan Rice, because they had amassed a whole load of ammunition concerning a Libyan town called Benghazi. But at least, like in Tanzania, the Democrats have a woman for vice-presidential candidate, and that is a plus.

On a serious note, however, whether you be in Tanzania or in the US, and you are mentally overworked over who gets picked, through means foul or fair, this is the deal: This election will be as contentious and as unfair as the last one was, and as the next one will be. There is absolutely no reason to lose your head and to surrender your power of thinking in the different situations you may be confronted with.

Keep calm, the storm will pass.