THINKING ALOUD: The triple Bane of Africa

In medical literature, bane of Africa refers to a disease known as Nagana, which is sleeping sickness in cattle. This disease is a big barrier to meat exports, undermining the African economy. But in political and civic education bane of Africa refers slave trade followed by colonisation and now neo-colonialism.

In the words of Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga ‘Songs we would never hear! Histories we would never know! Art we would never see! Because the Europeans had the capacity to destroy and didn’t have the moral restraint not to.”

Slave trade

All in all, it’s estimated that around 15 million Africans were brought to the Americas by European ships during this operation. Slave trade was economically motivated, and centered around the massive demand for cheap labour needed to cultivate the crops of the newly-settled lands in the Americas by European imperialists. Slave trade was the biggest crime committed against Africa. Many intellectuals argue that slave trade should be forgotten and Africa must move forward. Should this be the case?

Colonisation of Africa

Another bane of Africa is colonisation of Africa. In simple terms colonisation was a pure form of parasitic exploitation of Africa by European powers. Colonisation resulted into nothing but poverty in the African continent.

Similar to slave trade, colonisation was also motivated by the greed of exploiting Africa’s rich resources so as to lubricate the industrial revolution that was taking place in the west. As a camouflage it is claimed that the Europeans were bringing “civilisation” and “Christianity” to the “primitive” people of Africa.

Both slave trade and colonisation were grave crimes and surprisingly those who committed it have never been taken to task. There is constantly some noise about the holocaust in Germany where six million Jews were killed but Africa makes no noise about the slave trade or colonisation. Why?

This continent was literally looted and impoverished but neither political leaders nor the OAU, which is supposed to represent Africa, has ever demanded any form of compensation from the colonial rulers. Why? Where is the intellectual, academic class of Africans who should be in international courts fighting for compensation for Africa.

Neo-colonialism

The third bane of Africa is neo-colonialism and this has arisen mainly because African leadership has ignored the history of slave trade and colonisation and has in a way become partners with the west to further exploit Africa this time around with some legitimacy.

Neo-colonialism can be defined as the continuation of the economic model of colonialism after a colonised territory has achieved formal political independence.

Not only did they stick around, but also new players would emerge in an attempt to capitalise on Africa’s resources.

This was especially true of the US and Russia, as Africa was a prime target of influence for both countries in the heat of the cold war, resulting in proxy wars and multiple coups against each other.

A new form of slavery was now emerging from the ashes of colonialism that is still ever-present today. Even less visible than the chains of overt slavery and colonialism, modern neo-colonialism has become the new form of control for not only Africa, but is the control system of the entire world.

Those African leaders that chose not to play ball with the West were abruptly assassinated by covert intelligence operations.

From 1961-1973 alone, there were six African opposition leaders taken out in Western-backed coups: Patrice Lumumba (Congo), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Felix Moumie (Cameroon), Sylvanus Olympio (Togo), Mehdi Ben Barka (Morocco), Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique), Amilcar Cabral (Guniea & Camp Verde).

The vaccine for neo-colonialism is to elect honest, visionary and young leaders. The peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea is because there is a young dynamic leader uncontaminated by negative historical events. Today Africa needs to unite economically and focus on development of its people.

If this is not done the future fourth bane of Africa will be failed democracies, poverty and wars.