25.5.2014 51st Africa Liberation Day
AFRICA IN THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS
MOTSOKO PHEKO
It is what African leaders do now and daily which will determine the place
of Africa in the next fifty years. Africa has already waited for fifty years
for present African leaders to implement the foundational principles that
the pioneers of Africas independence struggle laid down on 25th May 1963.
If Africa has to wait for another 50 years to achieve her goal of economic
development and technological advancement; and rescue her people out of
poverty, ignorance, enslaving foreign aid and its deepening debts; it is a
sign that many present African leaders are subtly opposed to the Pan African
vision and mission for which the African Union and its predecessor, the
Organisation of African Unity were formed. They are hunting with the dogs
but running with the rabbit, and making sure the rabbit is not caught.
A genuinely liberated Africa will not come from heaven like manna. Like
Africas political independence struggle, it will come through the sweat and
blood of its own sons and daughters led by wise, dedicated and committed Pan
Africanist leaders. Fifty years for Africa from now will be reaping time.
Now is the sowing time. If African leaders are sowing nothing now, there
will be nothing to reap in 2063.
The African Union seems to be failing to implement ideas that were long put
forward by the pioneers of African unity in 1963 and beyond. These ideas are
the foundation for a strong Africa that can control its riches for its own
people and effectively defend all the interests of Africa.
Africa is like building a house with an agreed plan. This house must be
built in stages. Those stages must show that the house is being constructed
according to the designed building plan. In this context, at what stage is
Africa? Why must it take 50 years to rescue Africa from economic
powerlessness in the midst of so much technology?
Former colonial powers and their allies are afraid of a strong Africa that
controls its resources and is advancing technologically. When they gave in
to Africas political liberation, they made sure that this liberation was
devoid of economic power and also burdened with debts called foreign aid.
Africas economic liberation therefore is not going to be a dinner party.
Zimbabwe is an example of how deeply the former colonial forces and their
allies hate an Africa that they can no longer plunder and loot its riches.
Muammar Gaddafis Libya is another example.
African Unity Won Political Liberation For Africans
Africa has internal and external problems. These problems were there during
the struggle for political liberation. Africa won her political liberation
through African unity. Without the Organisation of African Unity, African
people in South Africa would today, be living in the Bantustans. The
apartheid colonial forces would be today intimidating, the whole of Africa
with nuclear weapons. The South African nuclear programme was dismantled
only when it was feared that it might be inherited by a radical Pan
Africanist Congress government.
Without the Organisation of African Unity support, the people of Namibia,
Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Zimbabwe might have lost their wars of
liberation. The OAU may not have been a finished house, but it was a useful
tent that can show important political gains.
For instance, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania(PAC) then led by
people like Potlako K. Leballo and David Sibeko got apartheid South Africa
expelled from the United Nations General Assembly. This was through the
diplomatic support by OAU member states at the United Nations. The expulsion
of South Africa resulted in the PAC and the ANC being recognised as
liberation movements and granted an Observer status at the United Nations.
Indeed, at the independence of Ghana on 6th March 1957, President Kwame
Nkrumah dedicated the liberation of Ghana to the whole of Africa. He
declared, Ghanas independence is meaningless, unless it is linked to the
total liberation of Africa. There were then eight African independent
African States to the 54 today.
Africa Will Regain Economic Liberation And Control Of Her Riches Through
African Unity
Africa gained her political liberation through African Unity. Africa will
not regain her economic liberation and social emancipation of her people
without African Unity.
If Africa does not sow seeds of economic prosperity, control of her riches,
massive education in various spheres of knowledge; she will reap nothing in
2063.People that do not sow seeds, cannot reap because they have nothing to
reap. This is the law of nature.
Africas Leaders Must Do An Introspection
Present Africas leaders must do an introspection of themselves. Are they
pursuing and protecting the interests of Africas people with the same
passion, vigilance and wisdom that were shown by Africas leaders of the
independence freedom movement such as Kwame Nkrumah, Ahmed Sekou Toure,
Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obefami Awolowo, Patrice Lumumba, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe,
Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ahmed Ben Bella, Modibo Keita, Julius Nyerere, Haile
Selassie and many others?
Emperor Haile Selassie mediation act which brought about the Casablanca and
Monrovia Groups together to form the OAU must be written in golden letters
in the history of Africa. What would have been Africa without the OAU? But
today what mediation machinery does the African Union have in situations of
political instability and civil wars among its member states? Prevention is
better than cure, said the wise.
Africa Must Increase Capacity And Lessen
Dependence
Africa must increase her capacity to be self-reliant. Nigeria a sister
African nation has presently a problem of Boko Haram terrorism that has
resulted in the whole world focussing on nearly 300 school girls that the
terrorists have kidnapped. Now, foreign powers with strong economic
interests in Africa and in Nigeria itself have offered assistance to find
these girls.
How many strings are attached to this assistance? The pioneers of Africas
independence often said, We accept aid from all people of goodwill. But we
shall not accept any assistance that has strings attached to it and
compromises Africas interests.
It is to be hoped that foreign powers such as France, Britain and America
will not attach strings to this purely humanitarian effort to find the
abducted Nigerian school girls. Moreover, terrorism is now a global problem
that affects many nations of the world. Its causes, however must be
established so that the appropriate remedy can be found.
The American government long wanted to locate its so-called Africa command
on the soil of Africa. Will this now be Americas chance to push Africom
into Nigeria and other African countries that have resisted foreign soldiers
in their countries?
The question that may now be asked is: Is America prepared to allow Russia
or China to establish its own American command in America and call it
Americom? These are some of the issues that Africas leaders must
scrutinise for an Africa that must be secure and strong in the next fifty
years.
Why? Vice Admiral Moeller was the man that President George Bush entrusted
with the main purpose of forming Africom in Africa. Addressing the United
States Africa Command Conference held at Fort McNair on 18 February 2008,
Moeller declared, Protecting the free flow of natural resources from Africa
to the global market is one of American Africas guiding principles.
Moeller specifically cited oil disruption, terrorism and the growing
influence of the Peoples Republic of China as a major challenge to United
States interests in Africa.
Important Facts To Remember From Past Africas leaders
Past Africas leaders stated how Africa must be restored to her lost power
in world affairs. As early as April 1959, Mangaliso Robert Sobukwe the
President of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania who was imprisoned on
Robben Island in 1963 without any court trial by the apartheid colonialist
regime, later banished to Kimberly where he died, allegedly poisoned by the
apartheid regime proclaimed:
Nobody, disputes our contention that Africa will be free from foreign
rule....Even though I live in South Africa, I have no doubt that this
prophecy will be fulfilled. But the question is: After freedom; then what?
The ready answer of white ruling minorities is chaos and reversion to
barbarism and savagery.
The ready answer of all Pan Africanists is...the creation of a United States
of Africa and the advent of a new era of freedom, creative production and
abundance. The potential wealth of Africa in minerals, oil, hydro-electric
power and so on, is immense.
By cutting waste through systematic planning, a central government can bring
the most rapid development....By the end of the century [2000], the standard
of living of the masses of our people will have undoubtedly arisen
dramatically.
For Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, Africa should by now have been sitting where
some African leaders say she will sit in the next 50 years. What are the
obstacles? When Sobukwe spoke these words, there were only eight African
states in the whole of Africa compared to 54 today.
Sobukwe added, For the lasting peace of Africa and solution of the
economic, social and political problems of the continent, there must be a
democratic principle. This means that foreign domination under whatever
disguise must be destroyed.
Julius Nyerere Appeal For Urgent Africas
Action
President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania appealed for urgent Africas
action. There is no time to waste, he said. We must unite or perish.
Political independence is only a prelude to a new and more involved struggle
for the right to conduct our social affairs unhampered by crushing and
humiliating control of our affairs.
At present there is more than a snails pace on the part of Africas
leaders. ...the standard of living of the masses of our people will have
undoubtedly arisen dramatically, as Sobukwe envisaged has not happened.
Why? Is it corruption by many African leaders? Leadership is service.
Servants of the people are men and women who are not for sale and refuse to
be bought for any price. They are honest and sound from centre to
circumference. They hate corruption. Corruption exacerbates poverty and
underdevelopment. It destroys nations.
Kwame Nkrumah On Dangers Facing Africa
On the dangers that would hinder Africa to have attained her goal in 2013,
Dr. Nkrumah warned, As a continent we have emerged into independence in a
difficult age, with imperialism grown stronger, more ruthless and
experienced, and more dangerous in its international associations. Our
economic advancement demands the end of colonialist and neo-colonialist
domination of Africa.
The April 2014 Brussels Conference at which the African Union (AU) and the
European Union (EU) met; clearly indicates that Europe still dominates and
insults Africa. This is after 50 years of Africas independence from
European colonial and racist rule. The EU refused to grant visas for some
security officials and assistants to countries such as Zimbabwe and Kenya.
What would be the reaction of the EU if its member states had been treated
in a similar manner?
In South Africa many former freedom fighters of the PAC and ANC are still
listed as terrorists by the United States government and refused visas to
enter America. This is in spite of the fact that the United Nations declared
apartheid a crime against humanity through its International Convention on
the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. What does the AU
say about this?
Reciprocity is a principle of diplomacy. Why do African governments allow
certain governments to treat their nationals in a manner that is devoid of
reciprocity? These matters are determining what Africa will look like in the
next fifty years.
The slave and master relationship between the AU and EU and its allies must
be thrown into the dustbin of history; if Africa wants her dignity, power
and glory untainted and unchallengeable in the next 50 years. If African
leaders through AU, do not plant positive seeds now and everyday for Africa,
there will be only negative seeds to reap in 2063. This will be a betrayal
of Africas coming generations.
Nkrumah was right when he said, If we, [Africans] are to remain free, if we
are to enjoy the full benefits of Africas rich resources, we must unite to
plan for our raw materials and human means....To go it alone will limit our
horizons, curtail our expectations and threaten our liberty.
Before I mention what Nkrumah said on foreign investors, let me mention a
recent incident. It happened in one of the African countries. A foreign
investor offered to build a road and a hospital for the right to mine a rich
mineral mine. This is 50 years after Africas independence!
Over 50 years ago, Nkrumah pronounced on foreign investment with regard
to Ghana. We welcome foreign investors in a spirit of partnership. They can
earn their profits here provided they leave us an agreed portion, promoting
the welfare and happiness of our people as a whole, as against the greedy
ambitions of the few. From what we get out of this partnership we hope to
expand the health services of our people, to feed and house all, to give
them more and better educational institutions and see to it that they have a
rising standard of living.
Africa Is Potential World Power After China
Africas Leaders in the African Union and elsewhere must get their act
together. Africans paid a heavy price for their political independence.
Africas people must be willing to pay even a higher price for their
economic power to control the riches of Africa for their people. There must
be a minimum fifteen year-prison sentence without the option of a fine and
granting of parole for corrupt government officials.
Africas people must engage with the modern world on the basis of
interdependence of nations. They must not present themselves to the world as
if they are bankrupt debtors with nothing to put on the worlds table.
Africa has enormous riches.
There must be massive intra-trade among African countries. There must be a
plan to process raw materials in Africa and export them as finished goods.
The necessary high technology needed in Africa must be exchanged for high
technology from which ever part of the world it comes. African raw materials
including minerals must not be sold for cash or goods. They must be
exchanged for the technology needs of the African Continent.
Those who now have this technology are secretive about it. They are refusing
technology transfer to Africa. They want to keep Africa technologically
backward so that its people can be a mere nation of consumers, not a nation
of manufacturers that export finished goods.
Africas people must not allow their continent to be merely a source of raw
materials and dumping ground of imported goods.
There must be huge investment in the education of Africas youth. Africa
must prioritise and maximise the study of modern science and technology in
all her institutions of learning.
There must be transport and communication system within Africa. A liberated
Africa cannot afford to have its citizens, travel to Africa via Europe or
their posted documents within some parts of Africa, to go to Europe first
before they reach another African country.
For rapid development of Africa, investors and governments must invest in
the infrastructure of Africa. There are many things that Africa can do for
herself and lessen her dependence on the outside world. Many non-Africans
get their riches in Africa. This is one of the main causes of poverty and
underdevelopment in Africa.
Conclusion: Africa Has Impeccable
Credentials
Africa is the epicentre of this planet called earth. She has impeccable
credentials to occupy a prominent place in world affairs. She created the
first human civilisation. What Africa must do now is to acquire knowledge on
a colossal scale. Africas knowledge was destroyed by slave traders,
colonialists and racists.
Where Africa will be in the next fifty years will be determined by what kind
of seeds African leaders, plant now. Africas history shows that when Africa
planted correct seeds she became a giant.
Hence the old African proverb, An anti-hill that is destined to be a
giant-hill shall ultimately come one, no matter how many times it is
destroyed by elephants. END
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
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