PaSamba did asked a very fundamental question and the analysis that followed
his question forced me to reflect on the condition we live in as Africans. The
fact that he asked' do we have a reason to celebrate' takes me back to the
days of independence and what we have achieved so far. As Frantx Fanon puts
it: 'Colonialism and its derivatives do not, as a matter of fact, constitute
the present enemies of Africa. In a short time this continent will be
liberated. For my part, the deeper I enter into the cultures and the political
circles the surer I am that the great danger that threatens Africa is the
absence of ideology'.
Has Fanon overstated the When he wrote these lines only few countries in
Africa had achieved independence. Today we can say the continent is free from
direct colonial rule even thought we are dealing with the most disastrous
neo-colonial rule. We have every reason to congratulate our selves, aware
though we are of the limitation of the independence.
Our struggle at this early phase was against colonialism. Although now and
then we railed against imperialism our primary focus was on colonialism. He
battle cry at this time was independence. Nkuramah underscored this when ‘seek
ye first the political kingdom and all things shall be added unto you’. It was
the spirit of the times. It was difficult to see any clear ideological
position, which guided the political movements of this period other than the
overriding platform of independence. The mechanisms for the anti-colonial
struggle were mass movements with populist appeal. Except in settler-dominated
territories where the protracted nature of the struggle forced the leaders to
think beyond the narrow confines of the legal termination of the colonial
relationship, the essential goal of the anti-colonial movement was quite
limited and its methods non-violent. The imperialist powers did not have any
difficult in conceding an end to the colonial relationship in legal and
political terms once they were sure of the nature of the class forces most
likely to take over the control of the post colonial state.
Now as Pasamba asked 'Do we have a reason to celebrate the ALD?'
It is now almost a century since independence came to Africa. What has been
the record so far? A lot has changed but very little has changed. For the
majority of our people independence has not brought any meaning ful changes in
their lives. In many parts of Africa agricultural and industrial production
has either stagnated or actually fallen. In my parts of our continent real
incomes hosting of their ability have fallen. The import substitution
industrialisation programmes proclaimed with much hope and fanfare have all
floundered. Those who persist in describing us as’ developing countries’ are
simply being polite. Crippling debt burdens has plagued us, and our finance
ministers are scurrying around Western capitals begging for money. Even
governments which came to power on programmes of self-reliance are today
boasting of their ability to beg successfully. In the last few years we have
been justifiably clamouring for a New International Economic Order, and the
transfer of resources from the rich North to poor South. These legitimate
demands and we should continue to make them. But let us have the courage to
admit that in our own back yards not much has been done in the area of
redistribution. In many parts of Africa resources are still being transferred
from the poor periphery to the rich centre. At the political level even the
outward forms of democracy have all but given way to unabashed
authoritarianism with the most sordid record of human rights. If our outlook
so far has been negative it is with good reasons. Our performance in the
post-colonial state has been abysmal.
In the 1960s following the manifest failure of the petty bourgeoisie which
took over the control of the post-colonial state to operate the neo-colonial
successfully, a spate of military regimes descended upon us. This was
celebrated in the West as the needed medicine to instil order, discipline and
efficiency. This was what was necessary to root out the bottleneck of
corruption and set us on the road to modernisation. Academics both foreign and
domestic came out with volumes on the Military and Development to give
intellectual legitimacy to the new order. Imperialism judged the new military
rulers the best agents for its domestic work: the continued appropriation of
surplus. It sought to impose a new economic order: de-emphasise the public
sector, reduce public spending, roll back the limited welfare programmes,
liberalise the economy, reduce wages, devalue the local currency, retrench
labour, increase prices, etc. All over Africa the same medicine of finance
capital from IMF, the World Bank, the Harvard Advisory Group, etc. al came
with their huge briefcases to proclaim the new gospel. But somehow it did not
quite work out. The new military rulers could not command sufficient power to
hold down the aspirations of the masses effectively. The workers started to
mess things up. A new way has to be found leftist or rather Leftist-sounding
military leaders, juntas, led by strong’charismatic’ leader, came on the
scene. Under the banner of ‘moral revolution’, ‘house cleaning’, ‘social
reconstruction’, ‘revolutionary transformation’, ‘social justice’, attacks on
‘bureaucratic capitalism’ and ‘feudalism’ it succeeds in rallying round the
left and better still, organised labour. With these two critical groups
firmly under its control or effectively neutralised it forges collaborationist
links with finance capital through the support of the compradors and the
reactionary petty bourgeoisie. At the same time it starts to punish certain
particular individuals of the comprador and the reactionary petty bourgeoisie
against whom it may have some particular grievance. This helps to reassure the
Left that the junta is still on course. For the members of the Left who do not
adapt easily to the new situation, brutal repression will do the trick.
So, do we have a reason to celebrate as he puts it,I will say no but as he
rightly put it this should be a time for reflection and building a more
democratic Africa etc., In a nutshell it is the time to pave the way for a
totally liberation of the African minds.
The Struggle Continues!!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh
Pasamba Jow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Folks,
Every May 25th, Africans in the diaspora gather to celebrate the ALD. It
could be in the form of the one in D.C which is celebrated with activities
such as parties, soccer matches and sometimes a rarely attended symposium.
But the pertinent question that needs to be ask is, Do we have a reason to
celebrate ?
1. when the legitimacy of our governments is determine by the western
world.
2. When our governments still practice neocolonist economic policies.
3. When our economies are totally dependent on foreign loans and grants, and
under the dictates of the world bank and IMF.
4. When even though Africa is the richest continent interms of Natural
resources, her people are dying in abject poverty.
5. When Gambians students are massacred for exercising their fundamental
human and constitutional rights tofreedom of expression and assembly.
6. When our brothers and sisters in Congo and Sierra leone are dying in
senseless civil wars.
7. When our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia and Eritrea are dying in a
senseless boarder war.
8. When Africa has little or no voice at the U.N, for the votes of all
Africans countries can be nolified by a veto from the U.S.
9. When the civilization of one is determine by how much one masters a
western language or how fashionable western style one is.
10.When as we spend thousands of dollars to celebrate the ALD, African
children are dying of EASILY CURABLE diseases.
11. When the trampulation of fundamental human and constitutional rights of
Africans is the order of the day by leaders who swore to uphold and protect
them.
12. When the JAMMEH's, TAYLORS's, SONKO's take up arms to take over
governments without the consent of the people.
Should'nt the ALD be a moment of reflection to Africans on how to build a
better and more democratic Africa. An Africa that will produce leaders who
will put the interest of the people before their very own.
An Africa whose leaders will be humble servants of the people and not seen
as demi Gods. An Africa that provides liberty, Dignity and prosperity for
her people. This Africa cannot be achieve with mere rhetorics but rhetorics
back with actions.
Our focus on every ALD should be to work out a strategic objective plan
to build a better Africa.
Long live Africa!!!! God bless Africa!!!
Thanks
PaSamba Jow
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