'You can't show weakness' - why African leaders maintain secrecy around their health

Rumours of ill-health person engulfed 2 African presidents successful caller weeks, sparking contrasting responses and exposing however the wellbeing of leaders is often treated arsenic a authorities secret.

It started with Cameroon's President Paul Biya, 91, whose ministers denied that helium was sick, insisting helium was successful “excellent health”. However, the media successful Cameroon was past banned from reporting connected his condition.

Then, Malawi’s authorities location rebuffed gossip that President Lazarus Chakwera was unwell by posting videos of the person jogging and doing press-ups successful the capital, Lilongwe.

“You person to bespeak a definite benignant of antheral to predominate successful authorities - you can't amusement weakness oregon vulnerability,” says Oxford University subordinate prof successful African politics, Miles Tendi, of the pomp and secrecy that surrounds African leaders and their health.

Chakwera and Biya utilized precise antithetic approaches to tackle the rumours astir illnesses, but they had a akin intent - to project, and protect, an representation of spot and virility.

But possibly astir importantly, to support rivals and opportunists astatine bay.

Prof Tendi says that the crippled of authorities is simply a “performance of masculinity” that needs to beryllium done to support power.

He adds that the masculine quality of authorities makes it highly hard for women to succeed. There is presently lone 1 pistillate caput of authorities successful Africa, Samia Suluhu Hassan successful Tanzania, and she inherited powerfulness arsenic the lawman person erstwhile her antheral brag died.

Political leaders, successful Africa and beyond, are expected to beryllium symbols of spot and resilience.

So, particularly erstwhile the person is ageing, their wellness becomes a highly delicate substance of immense nationalist importance, arsenic we person seen successful the US elections this year.

University of Johannesburg prof Adekeye Adebajo said leaders connected the continent "give the content that the wellness of their countries is tied to their ain idiosyncratic health", and what is ailing a person is often treated arsenic a authorities secret.

If thing happens to them, it tin impact the economy, the markets and change the governmental landscape, a information adept from Zimbabwe told the BBC, and this is wherefore other precautions are taken.

In countries wherever the governmental institutions are weak, procedures for governmental succession are often not good established, starring to fears that immoderate enactment vacuum could pb to a power-struggle.

Over 2 decades ago, the Democratic Republic of Congo President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated by 1 of his bodyguards.

The authorities refused to admit that helium had been killed, maintaining the pretence that helium had been sent to Zimbabwe for aesculapian treatment, portion they worked retired what to bash next.

In fact, it was his dormant assemblage that was flown crossed the continent successful an elaborate charade.

His inexperienced son, Joseph, was yet chosen arsenic the country's adjacent leader.

In Malawi, the authorities delayed the announcement of President Bingu wa Mutharika’s decease successful 2012, sparking speculation that determination was an effort to forestall the succession of his Vice-President Joyce Banda.

But successful neighbouring Zambia, wherever 2 presidents person died successful office, and successful Ghana, wherever past President John Atta Mills died successful 2012, the law processes worked smoothly.

Over the years, assorted African leaders person met questions astir their ailing wellness with either soundlessness oregon anger.

In 2010, Zimbabwe's erstwhile person Robert Mugabe slammed years of speculation arsenic “naked lies crafted by the Western-manipulated media”.

Three years ago, the announcement that Tanzania's President John Magufuli had died came aft weeks of denial that helium was sick. People were adjacent arrested for spreading mendacious accusation astir his health, lone for them to beryllium yet proven right.

One of the astir utmost cases of a authorities concealing the wellness of its person was successful Nigeria, wherever President Umaru Yar’Adua wasn’t seen successful nationalist for 5 months.

His bureau said helium was receiving attraction successful January 2010 and that helium was “getting better” however, determination were galore reports saying helium was “brain-dead”.

Yar'Adua ne'er appeared successful nationalist again, and his decease was announced successful May of that year.

“Some of these guys conscionable privation to bent onto power,” said Prof Tendi, adjacent until the bitter end.

• The 91-year-old African president who keeps defying decease rumours
• Why bash truthful galore African leaders dice successful office?

Many leaders, beyond Africa arsenic well, bash not deliberation their citizens person a close to cognize astir their health, which is treated arsenic highly confidential.

But determination person been exceptions.

After 7 weeks of authoritative aesculapian permission successful 2017, Nigeria’s President Buhari revealed to his federation that helium had ne'er been “so sick” successful his life, though helium did not accidental what was wrong.

Cameroon’s erstwhile President Ahmadou Ahidjo is believed to beryllium the lone African person to resign owed to sick health, successful 1982, aft ruling for 22 years.

This benignant of transparency and relinquishing of powerfulness is rare. More than 20 African leaders person died successful office, immoderate without telling their state they were adjacent unwell.

The illustration has not been adopted by Ahidjo's successor, Paul Biya.

Leaders whitethorn fearfulness that revealing wellness issues could embolden their rivals oregon adjacent overseas powers seeking to power oregon destabilise the country.

Some presidents person been toppled aft quality of their sick wellness was publicised.

In 1996, it was nationalist cognition that the kleptocratic person of Zaire (now DR Congo) Mobutu Sese Seko, had been receiving attraction for prostate cancer.

This nary uncertainty made it overmuch easier for Laurent Kabila to pb a set of Rwanda-backed rebels crossed the immense country.

Mobutu was excessively sick to coordinate immoderate resistance, and helium fled to exile successful Morocco, leaving Kabila to prehend power.

“If you're seen arsenic weak, it's a awesome to your interior rivals,” said Prof Tendi.

But Nigerian husbandman and teacher, Abeku Adams, 41, who has experienced 2 presidents dying successful office, said the secrecy could besides beryllium a “cultural thing”.

“Being secretive astir one's wellness is thing considered a portion of the healing process successful galore African cultures. This could beryllium the imaginable basal of wherefore they fell oregon prevarication astir their health,” helium said.

While backstage citizens person a close to support their aesculapian records confidential, it is argued that governmental leaders bash not person this luxury due to the fact that their wellness tin person an interaction connected the full country.

As much African countries found stronger succession procedures, determination are calls for greater transparency erstwhile it comes to the wellness of their leaders, particularly from the continent's progressively youthful population.

“Governments beryllium it to their citizens to stock specified information,” said Mr Adams.

He insists that due to the fact that citizens wage taxes, they should beryllium privy to the wellness of their leaders.

It whitethorn beryllium that Malawi's intensely competitory governmental system, with elections owed adjacent year, is what pushed Chakwera into doing his nationalist exercises - to amusement helium is fitter than his main rival, Peter Mutharika, 15 years his senior.

In contrast, Biya faces small menace from elections - helium has already won five, contempt absorption complaints of rigging.

In a existent democracy, the wellness of a person should beryllium transparent, 1 governmental expert told the BBC.

But the quality of authorities successful overmuch of Africa, wherever ruling parties are often accused of rigging elections, subject coups are ever a menace and adjacent elected presidencies tin go hereditary, transparency is not a signifier that galore leaders look acceptable to follow immoderate clip soon.