Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Africa: Why Do African Presidents Keep Dying? (Analysis)

(Aug 01, 2012, (All Africa))--Being an African president is a risky business. It can be fatal. We're already three down this year alone, and critically-ill Meles Zenawi looks like he'll make it four. Other continents, by and large, seem to do a better job of hanging on to their leaders. SIMON ALLISON examines Africa's strangely high presidential mortality rate.

The curse of the African president strikes again. This time, its victim was Ghana's John Atta Mills, who complained of pains on Monday last week and was dead by Tuesday afternoon. Mills was the latest in a disturbingly long line of African presidents to be unexpectedly and unceremoniously despatched to the Great Presidential Palace in Sky while still firmly ensconced in a real one.

Mills is the third this year alone. Before him was Malawi's Bingu wa Mutharika, who had a heart attack in April after over-exerting himself in an illicit sexual encounter with a female MP (according to this scandalous report, which, as much as I want it to be true, does strain the definition of credibility). Read more the original article at All Africa »

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