AFRICA DESK: Africa’s new picture boys

OVER the years, I have attended inauguration ceremonies for several African leaders and independence celebrations for many African countries, with the most recent events being the inauguration of Namibian leader Hage Geingob and Mozambique’s 40th Independence celebrations that were held in Maputo last week.

During this time, I have met several African leaders and many former African Presidents. Expectedly there is a world of difference between the old school leaders and the new crop of African leaders. However, what has really fascinated me is the body language and the dressing of this new crop of African leaders.

Brickbats will be thrown in my direction for being too old school and failing to move with the times, but the disappointing truth is that in the majority, the body language and the dressing of the new crop of African leaders is not inspiring at all.

Watching some of these new African leaders arriving at these ceremonies, one gets the impression that these are movie stars whose main worry is style and pattern rather than content. The showmanship is just too much and it leaves one wondering whether the continent is being put into safe hands.

Experts in body language say that body language impacts a great deal on how we communicate and can reflect quite accurately what is going inside us. The experts add that the body language includes body movements, gestures, posture, muscle tension, eye contact, skin colouring and even one’s breathing rate and perspiration. Even the tone of the voice, the rate of speech and the pitch of the voice all constitutes body language.

It would be un-African and un-diplomatic to name some of the culprits but there is quite a good number of new African leaders who when they arrive at an event, they tend to overdo the greetings through hand gestures and exaggerated smiles. Some of them even look like cartoon characters while others want to compete with movie or music stars in terms of dressing and flamboyance.

Some of the leaders walk so fast that their bodyguards will be struggling to keep pace and in some embarrassing situations, a few have taken wrong routes as they outpace their protocol officers. It’s like they are afraid of something and they want to quickly take a seat.

Others, once they take their seats, they fidget like little babies with some even knocking a few glasses off the high table. And when its time to go to the podium to make their address, they completely ignore the protocol officer and rush to the podium. Once there and with everyone looking at them, they discover that they don’t have the speech.

The blips and blunders continue till they sit down. And when they sit down, they want to look more important than what was contained in their speeches.

Is democracy in African giving birth to the right calibre of African leaders? Are elections in Africa producing servants of the people? Is there depth in a leader who has an obsession with his or her dressing?

Don’t get me wrong — I am fully aware that as a leader, one has to look presidential and presentable but then the unfortunate thing is that there is little attention to policies. It looks like style is more important than content. Surely, that can’t be the new way of doing things at such a level.

On the other hand, the old school leaders like many African elders have no obsession over what they wear and how they look. Of course, they make sure they are looking smart but dressing is not their main worry. Many of them carry themselves with measured dignity and when they speak, their depth overshadows everything else.

One of the most interesting times during these celebrations is when its time for photo sessions. While the old school leaders will be standing at ease, the new African leaders will be trying to outdo each other in terms of pose. After noticing this in Maputo last week, I sat down with Presidential photographer, Joseph Nyadzayo who has about 20 years of experience taking photos of these African leaders. The 10 minute chat was quite revealing and it confirmed my worst fears.

Below is my chat with Nyadzayo.

MH: I have been observing the differences between the old school African leaders and the new crop of African leaders. Quite interesting. From a photographer point of view what have you observed over the years?

Nyadzayo: For about 20 years now, I have been the presidential photographer and indeed I have also seen the marked differences between the new and the old school leaders. I have taken pictures of many African leaders over the years.

Normally when leaders are in action, they are doing serious things, they are dealing with a serious subject or they are giving a serious speech. As a result, you don’t expect their demeanour, their action and their body language to project a pedestrian, either in what they wear, gestures and utterances. But over the years I have seen that leaders differ. Old school seems to be leading in the right direction. The new leaders, well educated and maybe even much more resourced, they want to dress well, they usually want to match their things well. They wear bright clothes.

MH: Of course that’s the in thing isn’t it? These new leaders are showing that they are normal like everyone else?

Nyadzayo: Their gestures sometimes, maybe its because they are trying to copy somebody they have seen in the books of history. They tend to exaggerate things and they tend to have the body language of an ordinary person. Whereas old school, like President Mugabe, is very restrained. Should they make any para-language, we call it body language, its usually restricted and dignified.

You can see that they emphasise more on the content than the style. I have seen leaders projected on images, making grand gestures and you wonder because in their lives you don’t see any grandeur activity. But the gesture projects grandiose and you wonder what that gesture was premised on.

MH: So they are like movie stars?

Nyadzayo: I have even seen other presidential photographers under pressure to take that special photograph and its like their leader demands that. Whereas with old school and President Mugabe you decide on your own how you want to frame it and how you want to project him. He doesn’t really care how you project him. No photo-shopping.

MH: You mean you don’t photo-shop any of the President’s pictures?

Nyadzayo: Once you take the picture you don’t try to make him look younger or more handsome. Whereas with other leaders you can see that they have been touch-ups on the photograph especially for billboards.

They look lighter and more handsome than they really are. No blemishes on the skin which is very unnatural. You feel like they are always in a studio trying to record themselves. So they want a great leader on a photograph. On the ground you don’t see that great leader. On the billboard you see a great leader. Sometimes at conferences, they distribute magazines about themselves and about their countries — its usually on gloss paper with them sitting big on a chair and immaculately dressed. It’s like a fashion magazine.

President Mugabe is not the type that will say I want to see how he will project me. Its up to you the photographer.

MH: But what do you think this showmanship say about some of these new African leaders?

Nyadzayo: Unfortunately this showmanship to a greater extent shows shallowness in the approach to issues. Its superficial in my view. If you can worry about that at that level, chances are you don’t go deep enough.

MH: Do you see this in other world leaders?

Nyadzayo: Do I see this in other world leaders? European leaders?

I don’t know them that much. I know of our African leaders. Take Obama for example, I tend to see it when he walks. He walks with a swagg, with a bounce. But for him I can understand because of the issues surrounding who he is and the country he represents. He wants to give the impression of a big brother in control.

MH: Maybe you are old fashioned yourself?

Nyadzayo: You can say that and to an extent I accept that, but even at home I have seen some MPs who are very childish.

Disgustingly childish. You say to yourself, maybe this is how young men should behave but they are other young men who are much more dignified. We expect leaders to calm down as they grow older.