LEADERSHIP FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT || THE UNITED STATES OF AFRICA
Africa is above each and everything else a cradle that soothes the soul and a symbol of an intact community featured by cultural diverseness. It is a community that despite the horrors and misfortunes of the yester epochs, a trauma that still tortures its soul to this day has wearily clung to its true identity. Africa is a giant that has had her historical itinerary told from the perspective of its enemy, the worst form bullying and one which is obviously detrimental to the victim. A substantial number of African States sprung from Western colonial dictate and mould hence this historical misfortune which its perpetrators guised as an impartation of civilisation marred the African story for a long time and through the media’s malicious endeavours still do. The continent has had a rough road both in the pre and postcolonial eras, the latter epoch has seen a friction between African home-grown policies and neoliberal endeavours.
In the context of a LEADERSHIP FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT, an interesting concept of a united Africa was coined and envisioned by both politicians and scholars-cum racial activists. This concept has come to be popularly known as the United States of Africa, a vision echoing Pan-African connotations as its central tenet. One of the earliest proponents of Pan-Africanism is DuBois who at the inception of the 20th century propounded that ‘the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the colour line’, a statement which is believed to have been made with Pan-African sentiments in mind as noted in the Britannica. The United States of Africa [USA] became more pronounced in the wake of the continent’s reaction to colonial and neo-colonial shenanigans. Kwame Nkrumah whilst basking in his triumphs against colonialism in 1957 popularised the USA as an ideal way forward for the continent as a whole. The concept he said bases on the unity of Africans both politically and economically, this he believed was the best suit against Western colonial rule of Africa. To quote him verbatim Kwame Nkrumah put it aptly that ‘We are going to see that we create our own African personality and identity. We again rededicate ourselves in the struggle to emancipate other countries in Africa, for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total with the total liberation of the African continent.’ This apparently reveals Kwame as the earliest champion of the United States of Africa vision as he passionately emphasized continental independence rather than merely the independence of individual African States.
The abovementioned is reflective of unity of spirit and purpose on a continental level, a notion which the champions of the USA vision deem as not only desired but viable pathway if Africa is to see emancipation as a continent. Kwame Nkrumah who is mostly credited with being the bearer of this vision vehemently noted in his book titled I SPEAK OF FREEDOM that:
Divided we are weak, united Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world. I believe strongly and sincerely that with the deep-rooted wisdom and dignity, the innate respect for human lives, the intense humanity that is our heritage, the African race, united under one federal government, will emerge not as just another world bloc to flaunt its wealth and strength, but as a Great Power whose greatness is indestructible because it is built not on fear, envy and suspicion, nor won at the expense of others, but founded on hope, trust, friendship and directed to the good of all mankind.[1]
It must not escape mentioning that Nkrumah’s sentiments are laden with the sovereignty of Africa as a whole, presenting a formidable outlook in the eyes of the world, particularly the West whose villainy in the African continent is well documented.
Other proponents of the United States of Africa include Libya’s late notorious Muamar Gaddafi who is best known to us through his crude condemnation of Western interference in African affairs and his relentless denunciation of European endeavours to micromanage the domestic affairs of African States. Muamar Gaddafi remained wary of Western benevolence and believed that Africa could only rise and insulate itself against neoliberalism if united as one nation under a collective leadership framework. The mention of the name Gaddafi rings violence and villainy to a substantial sector of society and this is so because that’s the only version the Western dominated media will ever sell to the public. The fact that he had a protracted democratic socialist economic plan for his people and his country will get little or no audience. The leadership that shuns neoliberalism, employs and implements home-grown policies is the desirable LEADERSHIP FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT.
Our own late Robert Mugabe was also a proponent of the United States of Africa as he not only always emphasized the sovereignty of the African continent as a whole but was also incessantly critical of the disproportionate representation of Africa in the international community, particularly in the United Nations. The Great Robert Mugabe is known for being a controversial figure in the geopolitical circles as he always endeavoured to sensitize his peers of how deep the fangs of neo-colonialism run. The LEADERSHIP FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT has to prioritize everything home-grown and has to obviously respect of human rights in the same vein. This USA inculcates a visa-free Africa, increased intra-African trade, increased exchanges within African universities, continental calls for good governance and the ubiquitous and growing membership of Pan-Africanist groups on social media platforms.
The aforesaid vision which encompasses dismantling colonial borders may seem impracticable in the immediate future due to the complicated geopolitical landscape but unity in spirit and purpose, a oneness in mission will still go a long way in emancipating Africa and ridding it of Western domination. Disunity and mistrust amongst African states is always a lamentable loophole, this is to say that as far as they are African States that are still Western sweethearts Africa will not see progression in a long time.
The story cannot be complete of course without mentioning prominent Pan Africanists such as the late Thomas Sankara, Jomo Kenyatta, Tanzania’s late Joseph Magufuli whose Magufulification of Africa mandate encompassed remarkable home-grown efforts that favoured African socioeconomic development simultaneously shunning neoliberalism. The United States of Africa is the LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sonny Mncedisi Dube is a 23-year-old young male who is studying Law at the UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBZBWE, he holds a fair share of Pan-Africanist sentiments and he in addition writes on such and other issues as a pastime.
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© The NovemberMan
Mr Dube , continue with the dubification of this subject of the Africa we want as it must be our new normal post-covid which had no borders.This is the time for young intellectual to change the goal-keeper kind of mentality our present leadership is obsessed with.The spirit of "the Africa we want"is a revolution which needs young African intellectual minds.
ReplyDeleteThank youđź‘Ź.....!!!
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