Dear Ebrima,
Reading your piece I could not help but to reflect back on Mbeki's "African
Renaissance" which I believe should serve to emphasize the real need for a
common commercial, monetary and fiscal policy and agency which Ousman Bojang
raised in his response to your posting.
As I like to be practical we must first analyze our African nations
shortcomings and their advantage. The same situation should undoubtedly
apply to us who are recipients of this message.
Investors have but one agenda and that is how to increase profits not
matter what it takes. The European parliamentarian with their long tradition
of "democracy" know without an iota of doubt that real power is not in their
hand but in the hand of the money monger i.e. investors.
African nations with the poor state of control mechanism are and will be of
no match to these power brokers if allowed into the continent. It must be
stressed that MONEY is but a means to exchange while the real money maker is
the resources which Africa is in not shortfall of. Are the African nations
including South Africa in a position to really be players in this market
oriented "barbaric" game not to mention its alien nature to most of the
cultures of the continent.
What can the average African nation do on its own? What are their
weaknesses?
All the nations one sees in Africa have no viable economy, nor a monetary or
fiscal policy which off course is again based on sound economies. Most
African countries are laden with a 95% working population that is based on
the provision of services through governmental structures. These are non
productive but consume-oriented unites. The average industry is based on
inputs from the western world and are therefore slave to the market
orientation of the western world.
There is a dire need for the development of sustainable micro industries
based on the natural resources of each and ever African Nation. To make
these nations commercial entities to reckon with there must be implemented a
focus development drive directed at the individual. The empowerment of the
peoples in the convention of the abundant natural resources into a means of
income provide engagement is paramount.
Government schemes have failed to many times to be given another chance as
we have too little time. We need to bring our resources together in the
provision of adequate knowledge to achieve these goals. It is said that
knowledge is power, but I contest and say the "knowledge is potential power
while the knowledge of applying knowledge for the attainment of a specific
agenda is empowerment"
What could we networkers do? We have one or the other form/type of
knowledge that the continent needs. We need to bring this knowledge to a
common pool in the first instance. This knowledge will then be adapted to
suit our purpose. Our purpose being the empowerment of the individual must
thereof take into account the present situation of our audience. These
individuals are in no position to invest more than £20.00 for example.
When we as African can command what we want "bread/yam" on the table, and
are in a position to confidently state that their basic needs are met, and
know for sure that it has been based on their own efforts, and not any hand
outs by a foreign government, the seeds would have been sown for us to
effectively face the IMFS and WTO or what so ever.
We have the resources, we have the manpower and the brains, what is keeping
us?
The Struggle Continues!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh
-----Original Message-----
From: ebrima ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 15 July 1999 13:42
Subject: Africa and the new millennium
>Gambia L,
>
>Thought some of you might be interested in reading this paper I presented
>last night at the Harriet Tubman summer school in Warwickshire, UK.
>
>AFRICA IN DEEP CRISIS
>
>I deem it a privilege to be invited by you to come and talk about the
>African continent.
>
>In fact, I received your invitation at a time when I was already thinking
of
>doing a piece on "Africa and the new millennium".
>
>Anyway, before sharing some thoughts on the current situation gripping the
>Africa continent, I must, first of all, point out that Africa is so vast
and
>diverse a Continent that I cannot claim to speak authoritatively about the
>entire landmark.
>
>For instance, in Nigeria alone, there over 150 ethnic groups/languages.
>Although Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo are the three most spoken languages in that
>country.
>
>However, what I can say with 100 percent authority, or without any
>hesitation, is that Africa - a continent long exploited by both internal
and
>external forces - is today in a serious crisis and, no doubt, needs a new
>leadership that could rescue it from its present mess. I'll come to that
>later.
>
>Meanwhile, in order to appreciate the gravity of the situation/crisis in
>Africa, I'll give you some depressing statistics of African poverty. But
>before that, permit me to recall what Robert S MacNamara, a former
President
>of the World Bank had said in a speech to African leaders, at a conference
>in Nigeria in 1990.
>
>Warned he in 1990: "Africa is a Continent in crisis and there is little
>reason to believe that current development programmes will reverse the
>adverse trend...The situation five years from now is likely to be worst,
not
>better"...
>
>I do not know where Mr MacNamara is today, but having regard to the present
>situation, in which Africa finds itself today, no one in his/her right
frame
>of mind, can deny the fact the former World Bank president was indeed
>prophetic in his statement.
>
>Would you believe this? In Africa, over four million children die every
year
>before they reach the age of five. In fact, Africa has the highest infant
>mortality rate in the world, which is 108 per every 1000. The figure for
the
>developed world is just 12 per 1000, while the world's average is said to
be
>63 per 1000.
>
>In other words, one in every six children in Africa dies before the age of
>five and one in eight children is disabled. Also, one out of three children
>in Africa does not go to Primary school, while nearly a third of the total
>children's population is malnourished.
>
>Listen carefully to these additional figures - in economic terms - so that
>you can better grasp the seriousness of the poverty in Africa: The per
>capita growth rate in Sub Saharan Africa between 1980 and 1991 was 1.2
>percent, while East and South Asia jointly had about 10 percent.
>
>In fact, surveys as recent as 1997 indicate(d) that Africa's per capita
>income was/is now below the levels of 1970.
>
>Imagine this: Africa has 9 percent of the world's population, but its
>contribution to the world's GNP is reported to be 1 percent. Also,
>statistics have it that about 60 percent of the African population has no
>ready access to health facilities/services, while 3 million hectares of its
>fertile land is lost every year, due to desertification. So only a tenth of
>the cultivable land in Africa is under cultivation.
>
>What about wages/salaries in Africa? Well, real wages, as of 1997, had
>dropped to between 30 to 90 percent, while unemployment was/is between 40
>and 70 percent.
>
>It is also reported that out of the 20 world's poorest nations, sixteen are
>in Africa. In 1993, over 20 Sub-Saharan countries had debts in excess of
>their GNP.
>
>As of last year, 1998, Sub-saharan Africa debt was 106 percent of GDP
>compared to 37.4 percent in Latin America. Presently, Africa - in spite of
>all its raw materials - could only produce one percent of the world
>manufactured goods.
>
>And, in fact, findings have even revealed that the West, or Westerners, own
>most of the processing plants/factories in Africa.
>
>According to conservative estimates, the financial outflow from Africa to
>the West is about US $212 million per day. Or to put it in another way, out
>of everyone dollar put in Africa, the West reportedly receives four in
>return.
>
>And let us not also forget that because of repression/tyranny and other
>factors, most of Africa's talented professionals have also been lost to the
>West and other parts of the world.
>
>Having given you a gist of the seriousness of the present crisis gripping
>the African Continent, you may now want to know why Africa is the way it is
>today, and whether its future looks bright or not, especially as we are
>about to enter a new millennium.
>
>Well, in my view, and in the view of many African scholars, Africa's crisis
>has , to a very large extent, been caused by two forces - an external force
>and an internal one.
>
>The external exploitation of Africa obviously is being perpetrated by the
>West and its money lending institutions, while the internal destruction is
>being committed by African leaders themselves.
>
>African leaders - or those charged with managing Africa - are best at
>keeping their brothers and sisters down, and not providing positive
>leadership. Independence in the 60s did not bring any well meaning
>development to African countries/societies.
>
>Africa then and now continues to produce corrupt leaders who are only
>interested in filling their pockets with stolen state wealth, rather than
>serving their people.
>
>Imagine this: when President Sani Abacha of Nigeria died last year, his
>family was found with cash amounting to over 800 million US dollars. The
>late President Mobuto of Zaire was among the 10 richest persons in the
>world, while his people were/are queuing for water to drink.
>
>In short, one major reason why African countries are in shambles today is
>owing to economic mismanagement and corruption, perpetrated by its despotic
>leaders who have no vision for the continent, other than swindling public
>funds for their own benefit/good.
>
>Let me now move to the Western/external factor. The West, through its
>western controlled international agencies like the IMF and the World Bank,
>has also been responsible for turning Africa into the most backward
>Continent in the world in socio-economic terms.
>
>The West has continued the practice/habit of lowering the prices of
Africa's
>raw materials and also putting unjustifiable tariff barriers against
>Africa's manufactured good. What this means is that to be able to pay for
>its imports and service its debts, the African continent is forced to sell
>more and more of its raw materials at give away prices.
>
>Meanwhile, the IMF and the World bank ensure that African governments
>continue to cut down expenditure on social services and welfare programmes,
>so that their loans/debts can be repaid/serviced.
>
>And, of course, Africans leaders - in most cases - cooperate with these
>financial institutions from the West, because the cutting down on public
>expenditure does not affect them, since, as leaders, the State provides
>everything for them.
>
>Interestingly is the fact that African governments borrow more from these
>institutions than governments in other Continents, and yet Africa remains
>poorer and poorer. Sadly, too, is the fact that while Africa's exports are
>on the increase, the value has continued to go down drastically.
>
>Isn't it, therefore, ironic that the West - despite all its talk about
human
>rights - has, in fact, a definition of human rights that excludes economic
>rights if its trade relations with Africa are anything to go by.
>
>In fact, given the seriousness of this Western exploitation of Africa's
>enormous and rich resources, Sub-saharan Africa's share of total world
trade
>has had to drop from 4 percent to 1 percent, according to one survey.
>
>Anyway, let me not bore you any further with the statistics of African
>poverty. Actually, I deliberately travelled this far, in order to give you
a
>sense of the politics and economics of Africa, so that, hopefully, you can
>better understand and appreciate the gravity of the crisis gripping the
>African Continent.
>
>Two fundamental questions now arise: Is there a way out for Africa's
>suffering millions, especially on the eve of the new millennium? Is there
>any glimmer of hope for Africa?
>
>Well, in spite of the encircling gloom, I am still optimistic about
Africa's
>future. I am convinced that Africa's enormous problems can be solved on the
>waves of the new struggle by Africans - at home and abroad - for the
rebirth
>of a new Africa, a struggle which is already rising in many parts of Africa
>and the world over.
>
>It is indeed encouraging to note that forward looking African forces in
>Africa, and outside Africa, have now begun networking, re-grouping,
>strategizing, in order to give Africa its rightful place in world history.
>
>Already, a wind of change is blowing in Africa and there is no doubt in my
>mind, that sooner rather than later, this wind WILL shake or break the
>foundations of tyranny, repression and neo-colonialism all over Africa.
>
>It is indeed a historical fact that wherever there was a
>dictatorship/tyranny, there was also resistance. And resistance though
>starts feeble but certainly grows and becomes unsubdued and unvanquished.
>
>Also encouraging to note is the fact that the very external forces in the
>West and in the East which for both financial and ideological reasons
>supported dictators in Africa, like the late President Mobuto of Zaire,
have
>now woken up to the reality that the democracy is on the ascendancy in
>Africa and that their investments in the Continent cannot be guaranteed by
>tyrants, but rather by a democratic culture.
>
>A democratic culture which would allow greater accountability,
>institutionalized pluralism, freedom of the press and association, an
>independent judiciary etc.
>
>In conclusion, let me pose this final question: what is the way forward for
>Africa, as we are about to enter a new millennium? Well, in my view, if
>Africa is to make a recognisable headway in the 21st century, then we need
>to build, or establish, a completely new Africa.
>
>Africa's rebirth is a MUST if Africa is to play a dominant role in world
>politics in the new millennium.
>
>Certainly, the struggle for the building of a new Africa is not going to be
>an easy task, knowing fully well that many regimes in Africa are still
>determined to fight against the main current of history, to cling onto
>power, and will be all out to destroy all forces which seek to dislodge
them
>from their position of privilege.
>
>But, in my view, this struggle can be won just like the way colonialism was
>defeated.
>
>The new Africa envisaged shall bring Africans at home and in the diaspora
>closer by creating an African common market and the opening up of African
>economies towards each other, which is a must if African development is to
>become a reality.
>
>Such an African State shall ensure the economic empowerment of her people,
>based on collective self reliance. The overall goal of the kind of Africa
>envisaged, or in mind, shall be the elimination, or the massive reduction,
>of endemic diseases, mass poverty, nepotism, chauvinism, unemployment,
>injustice, corruption, wars, illiteracy and other forms of under
development
>rampant in Africa.
>
>It shall also be an Africa where there shall be genuine accountability,
>probity, transparency, freedom of the press and association, women's right
>(before Ndey Jobarteh kills me), open and honest debates on issues that
>concern the public, religious tolerance, higher education accessible to
all,
>free medical care for the sick etc.
>
>Having now painted for you the picture of the sort of Africa envisaged, you
>may know ask whether realistically speaking, this new Africa could be
built.
>
>Of course, the Africa envisaged, in my honest view, is realistic and
>achievable. However, in order to build such an African State, where mass
>poverty shall be eventually eliminated, Africa needs to have a new breed of
>genuine, inexpensive, humble and committed leaders who are capable of
>defending Africa's interest, vision, its economies, rights, image and
>aspirations.
>
>These new leaders shall see themselves as subordinates of their people, and
>not demi gods. In fact, these new leaders shall be gracious enough to
>encourage the people to vote them out of office if they were not delivering
>the goods.
>
>Their immediate task/priority shall be to provide their citizens with all
>their basic needs such as proper housing, decent education, good medical
>facilities etc.
>
>These new African leaders shall also possess the wit to make a decisive
>contribution to world peace and also help establish a just international
>relations system in the world that would be based on justice and equality
>for all peoples and countries of the world.
>
>These new leaders shall also try and attract their citizens back home and
>discourage any new wave of exodus of our most virile and brainy people, so
>that Africa development can, once and for all, become a reality.
>
>I could go on and on, but I'll pause here and take questions. I also hope
>that those of you who have not visited Africa yet, would try make the
>historic journey to where your roots are.
>
>Long live Africa!
>
>Ebrima Ceesay,
>Birmingham, UK.
>
>
>______________________________________________________
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>
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