The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Away from whether Prof. Mamdani is right or wrong. I think today he gave some interesting life philosophy during his NBS TV interview. It’s a worthy red-pill advice, great nuggets of wisdom. I took time to transcribe the advice:
Simon Njala: Are you fed up? Do you regret this? (Coming to Makerere and starting a Phd Programme)
Prof. Mandani: (mentions Simon’s name then speaks) If you follow, if you try to implement a major project in your life, one that’s not a continuation of business as usual, one that departs from the norm; Then you have to know before you start that the journey is not going to be short and it’s not going to be easy.
Every journey has its own trajectory. If you are not prepared for setbacks, if you are not prepared for those who will be cynical or simply disagree with you then you don’t have what it takes to make something different. Why should I be fed up?”
Simon: People say you’re a dictator. Do you agree?
Mamdani: I don’t agree that I am a dictator. I am decisive. If you are building up a new thing, you have to be decisive. The role of individuals in building institutions is very important at the early stage. The success of that effort depends on whether you are able to move away from centre stage as an individual and create institutional structures and processes. That’s where we are right now.
Simon: (Asks something about loyalty, says Stella Nyanzi has more support than Mamdani.)
Mamdani: I am a scholar. In scholarship the last thing you need is loyalty. The first thing you need is openness of mind and creativity. The ability to ask questions but the questions you ask must be relevant and the way you ask them must be productive.
I finished watching the interview and I must say I left feeling more intelligent than when I started watching it. There’s just something about the way he spews his words. Almost everything he says is a lifetime quote. On that one arena, I am awed.
THE FULL INTERVIEW
