Recalling Thomas Sankara

This week we remember that gallant son of Africa who was killed by his so-called best friend Blaise Compaoré and other reactionary forces two decades ago. Thomas Sankara died under a hail of bullets on 15 October 1987 in a bloody putsch that was supposedly launched to fight Sankara’s misrule. Born on 21 December 1949 Captain Thomas Isidore Noёl Sankara was a charismatic, Pan-Africanist and anti-imperialist leader who came to power in 1983 via a popular bloodless revolution that toppled a moribund military dictatorship. Upon assuming power, Sankara and his compatriots went on to undertake wide-ranging and radical reforms which saw the status of women being elevated to unprecedented heights, corruption vigorously tackled on all fronts; education standards were also raised whilst agricultural production was increased. Privileges for the traditional leadership were heavily curtailed during the reign of Sankara. The country’s name was changed from the colonial relic of Upper Volta to Burkina Faso - Land of Upright Men. In many ways Sankara’s revolution was modelled along the lines of the Cuban revolution. He sought after the transformation of his country through profound social and economic reforms.

Sankara was a beacon of hope to most of Africa but faced opposition from puppet regimes as well as other neo-colonial elements in his region. He was an upright and indeed incorruptible man. Furthermore, most African presidents were uncomfortable with Sankara’s leadership style as he put them to shame. Sankara’s almost Spartan type of existence was a misnomer in Africa where leaders sent their children to lavish and expensive European schools whilst schools at home lay in disrepair with poorly paid teacher. These are the same leaders who went to European hospitals with their families for medical treatment whilst their own hospitals remained derelict and with no medicines whilst underpaid and abused doctors tried in vain to treat people. This situation still continues today in Africa as leaders plunder their countries’ wealth with impunity. But Sankara never plundered his nation’s wealth or carted it away to European or American Banks. He never led an opulent or ostentatious lifestyle like most African leaders - in an ocean of poverty, deprivation and human misery. Sankara shied away from the trappings of power: he refused to have his portrait hung in public buildings; he lowered his salary; he refused to have his office air conditioned and he even sometimes used to hitch a plane ride, citing his country’s poverty and its inability to buy a presidential jet plane as the reason!

Sankara has been described as a romantic due to his simplicity and affable nature. He was an easy going person and modest to the core - even when he was president. He would be seen jogging or riding a bike by himself or going about playing his guitar. By the time of his death his remaining possessions were his guitar and old Renault 5 - which incidentally was his official car - a fridge and broken freezer. This was at a time when the rest of African leaders were cruising in Mercedes or other fancy cars; living in luxury villas and accruing all sorts of property for themselves at the expense of the toiling masses. Since Sankara’s death, Compaoré has gone on to corruptly amass enormous wealth and has thwarted all efforts aimed at democratic change. He has rigged elections and has reversed all the gains that were made by Sankara.

Lessons for Zambia

There are many lessons Zambian politicians as well as ordinary citizens can derive from the life and leadership of Thomas Sankara. We, the members of the SDC salute Sankara for reminding us the virtues of simplicity and honesty through his exemplary but short life. We emphatically assert: THOMAS SANKARA LIVES!  

                                           Thomas Sankara - How we remember him