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The making of a useless constitution: Change this, flip that, expunge the other

Saturday September 23 2017
drinks

In a strange way, an African constitutional journey is like a battle with alcohol. ILLUSTRATION | JOHN NYANGAH

By JOACHIM BUWEMBO

If you have never nursed a friend or relative battling alcoholism, count yourself lucky.

I have nursed both — a friend and a relative — and at times you hurt more than the patient. During their last days — mine both lost the battle — you want to tell them that it’s all okay, that it could as well have been anything else like malaria or cancer to waste them, so they shouldn’t blame themselves.

But as you say all that the guy — what is left of him — stares blankly at you. He can even smile, for your sake, knowing you are the one remaining behind to deal with the sorrow, regret and even his guilt.

You want to take back all the harsh words of criticism that you used to hit at him with during his boozing days, but it is too late.

In a strange way, an African constitutional journey is like a battle with alcohol. A nation sets out to write a constitution because of a bloody history either against colonial forces or itself.

So they write an idealistic constitution and celebrate its promulgation because it reads like a democratic silver bullet.

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Then some years down the line, they encounter a challenge and they amend the constitution, forgetting that it is precisely for challenging times that rules are set.

The reason for example that you are prohibited from overtaking at a corner or where there are double lines is that you may encounter a challenge like a slow moving truck in front of you.

That way you don’t cause a crash — please don’t call it an accident because it is a logical outcome of an action taken.

With alcohol, a social drinker does something stupid while drunk and swears to quit the bottle. He keeps off it for a while, until some stressful challenge comes. He decides to take a glass to calm down. It tastes so nice and he finishes the bottle.

He feels he has really been missing something and orders another bottle. Then a third one, a fourth and so on. In the morning he feels a bit of regret but he has a reason, call it an excuse, why he drank. In the evening he is at it again. 

Before he realises it, he is a heavier drinker than he was before he broke off. Another challenge comes and he moves to a higher gear and becomes a mild addict. Because the bottle is no longer forbidden territory.

He switches to stronger stuff and so on. It is said that guys who get out of rehab and then resume drinking are the hardest to treat.

Even if you don’t believe in the Bible, the story of an evil spirit which you expel and it returns with seven others to make a permanent home in your head is pertinent here.

Amending constitutions because of a challenge is like resuming alcohol after quitting. You are likely to exceed the limits and go into self destruction mode.

That is when or why family members start planning their future without you in the picture. Because they know it is just a matter of time.

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