By Shepherd Mutsvara.
We have all mastered the history lessons on the Berlin Conference and its resultant Scramble for African resources: raw and human! Colonisation and the Atlantic slavery branded Africans as weaklings, who could submit to imperial bullying. Cecil John Rhodes triumphantly straddled over Cape to Cairo and subdued the once mighty pyramid builders. Economies were structured to reflect the image of the bourgeoisie and in the process we lost our language. We mastered the imperialist language to the last vowel and learned his habits. What Winterbottom would do, we must do! This acculturation into white man methods made us realise how much we had lost whilst holding the bible. The white man was rudely reminded that civility is not a sign of weakness. We took to the hills and literally “died” for this continent. We hoisted our black brother to the throne and exalted in the aura of freedom and sovereignty! Fifty years on, Africa is despondent as leaders eat away the only hope of survival! The sixth brain tells us…we have hoisted the wrong man!
The permanent crisis remains economics. Whilst our leaders have mastered the subject at universities (i hear some do not have formal education), they have failed to implement the macro-economics graphs into reality. The graphs remain skewed and tell a tale of mis-management, corruption and excessive government expenditures. We have failed as a continent to entirely depend on the numerous resources that we are endowed with. Instead we have let a few plunder the natural resources of our beautiful continent.The substantial infrastructure inherited from the Colonist, has been reduced to rubble under our watch. Power blackouts have again turned the once shining metropolitan cities into rural areas. National roads have become frightening sink holes. Hospitals have become involuntary c euthanasia centres.You get sick,that is the last time we will see you! Even our own leaders seek medical assistance in the East and the West. Public infrastructure is an eye-sore! It requires a lot of courage to use a public toilet in the heart of the city. As, one drunk fellow, reckoned: sovereignty has not only given our people the freedom to move anywhere in the city, but also the freedom to relieve ourselves wherever we want, whenever!
This panoramic view of endemic systemic failure is a result of failed policies. Leaders have been given to knee jerk policies aimed at political expediency at the expense of the frighteningly patient citizenry. This coupled with senseless wars, African economies are fraught with an alarming dependency syndrome. Our leaders have embraced aggressive neo-liberal economic policies that have come with dire economic results. These policies have failed because of high levels of public ownership in economies with over-valued exchange rates. In some countries the currency is not even worth the paper it is printed on. As Nicolas van de Wall noted almost all African states have been engaged in some kind of economic reform programme with funding from the West. This echoes Marx and Engels prophetic words when they said, “barbarian and semi-barbarian countries”, have become, “dependent on the civilised ones, nations of peasants on nations of bourgeois, the East on the West.” Once again we look up to our erstwhile masters for financial aid. In any case Africa’s biggest export to Europe has become its people fleeing economic persecution.
The aging leaders continue sitting on soiled seats. They endeavour to take their countries to the grave. Is it then surprising when young leaders wish to extend their stay in the State House? Who will then tell them to follow Constitutional scripts? They don’t believe in the Constitutions they swore to protect and respect. Their strength lies in the army that will do anything to silence the citizenry to death. Is this the Africa we hoped for when the founding fathers formed the Organisation of African Unity? Can’t we organise ourselves and have central leadership that will transcend race, tribes and ethnicity? Africa Union with one currency will conquer all continents and create a mighty Africa with a vibrant democracy! Why should we always watch our resources being exploited by the North under the guise of globalisation? We need a new crop of leaders who will see beyond the mountain. It’s never too late! It begins with you the reader!
Let’s do away with hatred for each other. For the first time the black brother has decided to label his own black brother a foreigner! A case of the kettle calling the other black! Whatever names such hate is given; it takes Africa to great abyss of barbarism. Centuries of ignorance! Are we not the same brothers who shared a bean when it fell to the ground during difficult times? Didn’t the wisdom of our fore-fathers instruct us that there is strength in diversity?
As our charismatic leaders lead Africa Day celebrations in panelled corridors of State buildings, the truth is hard to ignore: Africa…divided we stand!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shepherd Mutsvara, a Zimbabwean living in South Africa, is a professional with vast teaching experience in Southern Africa. His interests lie in Public International Law, Public Policy and Legal Research. Shepherd also holds an LL.B. from the University of South Africa and is working towards being admitted as an Attorney in South Africa. Currently he is a Research Intern at Alexis Foundation.
