Politics has always been a battlefield of competing interests, but in our time it has evolved into something far more calculated and manipulative.
Power is no longer simply about leadership, service, or nation-building. It has become a strategic performance crafted to secure influence, control resources, and maintain dominance at any cost.
In many African societies, politics has slowly drifted away from the people and grown into a carefully engineered game where those who master deception rise, and those who speak truth are often silenced. What was once meant to uplift communities now frequently thrives on the art of illusion.
Our political landscape has been flooded with leaders who speak the language of the masses without carrying their burdens. They promise hope but deliver hollow speeches.
They perform unity yet practice division. Some of the same leaders who seek our trust emerge only during election seasons, parading generosity that disappears right after the votes are counted.
This is the new theatre of power where citizens have become spectators in a show that is meant to manipulate their emotions. Elections no longer feel like expressions of freedom but rehearsed rituals designed to maintain the status quo.
After all the slogans and songs fade, ordinary people remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and disappointment while those at the top continue to feast.
What makes this more painful is how spiritual institutions, once seen as pillars of community guidance, are now interwoven with political power.
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Some religious leaders, instead of standing for truth, have become advisors to politicians, feeding off the same systems that oppress their congregates.
Fake prophets roam freely, taking advantage of gullible and desperate Africans by manipulating their fears and exploiting their suffering.
They sell miracles, promise overnight breakthroughs, and weaponise scripture to maintain authority over vulnerable minds.
Their influence blends seamlessly with political power, creating a dangerous partnership built on fear, silence, and unquestioned obedience.
These leaders live pompously while the faithful sacrifice the little they have hoping for divine rescue.
Politricks and gimmicks have now been normalized for the benefit of a few greedy individuals who thrive on the misery of the majority. Many of these actors rely on the desperation of a struggling population, knowing full well that hunger and poverty weaken resistance.
When people are tired, frustrated, and fighting invisible battles every day, they become easier to control. That is the reality we now face. What once resembled leadership has transformed into psychological warfare. Citizens are constantly pushed to the edge, then bribed with temporary relief that never tackles the root of their suffering. It is a cycle designed to break the spirit.
Yet despite all this, the story is not entirely lost. Across the continent, small but powerful sparks of awakening are emerging. Citizens are beginning to question rather than consume.
Youth are rewriting the narratives fed to them. Communities are learning that liberation does not come from waiting for saviours, whether political or spiritual, but from recognizing their own collective strength.
True power belongs to the people when they realise they have been carrying the weight of nations on their backs for generations. When the oppressed become aware of their own role in sustaining corrupt systems, the illusion of leadership begins to crumble.
Politics and power will always test the character of a society. They reveal what we tolerate, what we fear, and what we are willing to fight for.
The future of Africa depends on the courage to confront uncomfortable truths and challenge systems that thrive on manipulation.
It depends on citizens who refuse to be entertained by the spectacle of deception. It depends on the awakening of minds that understand that leadership is not a privilege but a responsibility.
As long as power continues to be worshipped instead of questioned, the same cycles will repeat. But if the people rise with clarity, unity, and refusal to be used, then even the tallest structures of oppression can fall.
*Mthulisi Ndlovu, also known as KingKG or KhuluGatsheni, is a political realist, protest poet, and cultural activist. He has written multiple articles, poems, and published books that challenge injustice, interrogate systems of power, and celebrate the resilience of African identity.
