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Africa: Possible solutions to an entrenched crisis
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) NTCC
May 24, 2012

As we celebrate Africa Day this year it is gladdening to know that though we still have a long way to go as a continent, we have most certainly come a long way. Through protracted liberation struggles that were fought throughout the continent we were able to rid ourselves of the hideous maleficent demon called colonialism. However, notwithstanding this great victory, colonialism resurfaced soon after independence in the form of neo-colonialism.

Aside from the afore-mentioned type of colonialism directed from outside which shall be referred to as looting from without, our continent is suffering from a multitude of internal problems in the form of looting from within, suppression and brutalization of the masses, devastating wars and extreme poverty.

Looting from without which is as a result of neo-colonialism through which foreign nations amass African wealth using multinationals, wars, unbalanced trade and shady deals with African governments has left our continent reeling from incalculable damage which as far as I know no one has attempted to quantify that is if ever it can be quantified. The spectrum of agents of neo-colonialism is much broader than that of those involved in the colonialism which resulted from the portioning of Africa at the Berlin Conference of 1884-85. Unlike the latter, neo-colonialism involves many countries not involved in the former type of colonialism, chief among them being China.

As if this is not enough, Africa has suffered and continues to suffer from internal hemorrhaging in the form of looting from within. Tons of African leaders since independence have ignominiously plundered the resources of their countries to unimaginable extents. The likes of Mobuto Sese Seko (who has been ranked third in the top ten most corrupt leaders in recent history), Omar Bongo and Hastings Kamuzu Banda to mention just but a few, are perfect examples of the crop or type of leaders that have led and continue to lead African states today.

These types of leaders assume political power for the sole purpose of self-aggrandizement. In a book titled 'The Politics of Patronage', Roger Tangri notes how these type of leaders use state institutions such as parastatals to gain personal wealth and extend a feeding trough to loyalists as a means of enjoying their continued support so that they can remain in power and loot some more. These leaders carry on their shameless looting activities regardless of the high levels of impoverishment and impecuniousness amongst their respective peoples.

And as if this is not sufficient in making the general populace suffer, African leaders have through the years unleashed a mafia type of violence on those who question their corruption and maladministration of the nation state. Having assumed power through violence during the liberation struggle, many liberation parties failed to desist from using the latter after independence as a means to achieve their narrow selfish interests. As a result of the latter's oppression tactics it begins to resemble the previous colonial government and in the words of Mukoma Wa Ngugi in his book Conversing With Africa, 'the more it resembles the previous government, the more the people resist it and the more they resist it the more it resembles the previous government.'

It is after analyzing these various factors and dynamics of our history and of the current state of the African continent that one has to stop and think of possible solutions for lifting our continent from the abyss of poverty that it is currently entrenched in.

It is clear that during the liberation struggle era most liberation movements concentrated on wrestling political power from the white minority whilst leaving the latter with most of the economic resources. The afore-mentioned reality formed the basis for the indeginization and land redistribution argument but in my view to redistribute resources without fully democratizing a government and its various institutions is putting the cart before the horse. Having noted the proclivity or penchant of African leaders towards avaricious behavior in the form of an insatiable thirst for self-aggrandizement, it is abundantly clear that a government that consists of institutions not fully democratic and accountable can never be trusted with redistributing wealth. Put simply, without ensuring a fully democratic and accountable government through various mechanisms such as legislation and the constitution, there can never be equitable redistribution of resources, only looting.

In terms of the brutalization of dissenting voices which is preponderant all over the African continent, possible solutions can be offered.

As noted earlier, the liberation party born and bred of violence is unable to dispose of the latter in much the same manner a leopard is unable to change its spots. The afore-mentioned type of party is as incapable of peaceful co-existence with opposition forces as a barren woman is incapable of bringing forth an offspring. Thus the first step for any state in ridding itself off the culture and administration of violence is to vote out the liberation party in an election. However, since this is highly impossible in many states because the liberation party uses violence and all sorts of other tactics to prevent the latter from happening, other solutions must be thought of.

Also, as noted by some scholars such as Sachikonye in his book titled When a State Turns Against its Citizens, the culture of violence in some African states seems to have rubbed off on to opposition forces and the civic society as a result of the latter's brutalization by the state. Sachikonye notes that victims of violence often become violent themselves.

There is thus a need to search for viable practical solutions to rid the African continent of the culture of violence in the same manner the latter exorcised the demon of colonialism from within its midst.

In fighting neo-colonialism which is here going to be used as an umbrella term for all forms of exploitation undertaken by outside forces on the African continent, theories of emancipation such as those proposed by dependency theorists can be made use of. South to south cooperation which involves equitable trade amongst African and other states can be adopted as a panacea for the development of the African continent. Adoption of this tactic involves strategically delinking from the West on which most African states are currently

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