Halifa,

Your concerns about creating a personality cult have been well noted. To
be frank I felt rather uncomfortable as well. This can create myths
around individuals and even instil fear in the minds of people, easily
leading to tyranny. Our era is one of mental liberation and does not
call for such.

I did not intervene for the sake of Halifa the person per se. The person
of Halifa I respect, but it's rather what he represents that I wanted to
highlight. I didn't do so to suggest that no one should ask Halifa
questions or doubt his actions, motives etc. I agree totally that
leaders should be subjected to scrutiny. That's good for both leaders
and the led. In fact I believe that the more politically mature a people
are the more will their leaders be subjected to public scrutiny. So I
hope too that we'll maintain this attitude steadily and fairly as we
march towards political maturity as a people.

One reason why I intervened was to inject a sense of purpose and respect
in the debate from a personal point of view. Without going into the past
let me just mention that my observation went beyond Hamjatta and Saul. I
was looking back from around 1997. To ask a simple question does not
require name-calling, blatant attempts of character assassination etc.
Now, whether we are dealing with each other in a respectful manner is of
course left to each person's judgement. I personally would like to talk
to a person whose "guilt" has not been proven yet, in a manner similar
to that I would enquire from my mother, father, brother or sister.
That's the standard of respect I wish to achieve personally. Not a "Home
boy" attitude! This should not be taken as a sermon, it's just a
personal thought. But perhaps the line between positive provocation and
derogatory satire with a pinch of disrespect in polemics is very thin.

I have been a bit provocative in my writing because I think all of us
need to go beyond asking what this or that person has and has not done
(and this does not mean we should not ask and make objective enquiry!)
to asking ourselves what have we done and what do we want to do better,
and not just asking but systematically working towards that within the
confines of our limitations. So by writing about intellectuals producing
"junk" I'm not trying to belittle the contributions of all African
intellectuals outside of Africa. I see myself as part of those "junk"
producers to some degree. Criticism should start with self if it is to
genuinely stand the test of time.

But what matters is that the debate goes on. When daylight strikes all
that hides under the cover of darkness will come to light.

Let me finally make it clear that I have no intention to be dragged into
Saul's war of name-calling. I have neither the appetite nor the time for
such a fruitless exercise.

Greetings

Alpha Robinson

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