• In Africa, there are countries where the word democracy is only a fancy word which exists among the people. Rather, some leaders seem bent on creating a cult of personality to satisfy their unending quest for more power.

    This has aptly been the case in Burundi. Cases of African leaders loving titles being bestowed upon them are not new. 

    The president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, has followed the trend, with his party naming him the "eternal supreme guide". It effectively means that his choices cannot be questioned, and he is above everyone in the party as secretary-general Evariste Ndayishimiye said.

    It is a move widely seen as an attempt to flush out any opposition in the party and to ensure that Nkurunziza's dream of being a life president becomes materialized. 

    With Burundi heading for a referendum in May this year, many are already predicting an outcome which will result in Nkurunziza being in power till 2034. 

    It's the ruling party that has bestowed on him such a title. "He is our leader. Therefore in our party... no one is comparable to him," Mr Ndayishimiye said. "He is our parent, he is the one who advises us. That is why I ask all our members to respect that because a home without the man (its head) can be overlooked by anybody. For us, we have the best."

    The politicking and sycophancy in African politics is a scourge that erodes the initiative for the developmental issues to be a core business for the politicians. 

    The levels of such a cult of personality has grown to worrying levels. Jeremy Minani, the leader of the opposition Rally of Burundi Democrats (RDB), told Burundi Radio Publique Africaine: "President Pierre Nkurunziza's naming himself the leader of the ruling party, is part of his plan to reach his goal and to make it easy for him to eliminate every challenge without difficulty."

    Things seem to be going in the trajectory that Nkurunziza desires. Which could ultimately mean a devastating degeneration in the democracy of the country. 

    The 54-year-old former rebel leader has been in power since 2005.