Grandson When I Was The President

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Legacy is the stamp we leave behind, when we leave a particular place, job, situation or when we die, especially after death. Legacy is proof that we were here. It is not in a vacuum, because legacy is influenced by circumstances beyond our control.

Take COVID-19 for example, in five years time, former presidents and prime ministers will rightfully say, ‘Grandson, when I was the President, a virus called COVID-19, engulfed the world.’

Time determines the legacy, like COVID-19. The legacy will be how individual leaders handled it in their respective countries. A legacy is also planted and watered over time, before a president or prime minister takes the oath of office, call it pre-legacy.

Elections are pre-legacy. They give potential voters the blue print that defines the color, roofing, wall material (bricks, stones, corrugated iron, grass etc.) and cement politicians will use to built houses, called countries.

They win the election. They sit at the head table and map out how they will solidify pre-legacy, using all the administrative, educational, policing, legal, propaganda, military and intelligence utensils on the table.

Active legacy comes after pre-legacy and it is the most gratifying time for a president or prime minister. The seeds planted in pre-legacy come into full bloom. He finds great joy in watching the news and seeing his active legacy, in living color. He can even indulge himself and murmur: ‘So, dreams do come true.’

The real legacy with a big L comes when he leaves political office or when he dies. The only disadvantage is that control careers off his hands. Other people define what his legacy is. He can tell his grandson one thing, electronic images of his legacy with tell the opposite.

‘Grandson, when I was the President ………….’

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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