Ben Uugwanga
Pan-Africanism is a concept that calls for the unity of Africans on the mainland and diaspora because of the shared experience of colonialism and slavery.
The call for unity is meant to foster political, economic, cultural and scientific progress.
In Namibia, the history of the concept dates to the 1920s, stemming from the sensitisation of the ideology by the Negro Improvement Association Movement of Marcus Garvey, whose influences came to Africa/Namibia through activists and fishermen.
Movements such as the Herero Chief Council, Swanu and Swapo were influenced by the Pan-Africanism of Marcus Garvey.
In the late 1990s, the Pan African Student Society of the University of Namibia was formed. Students associated with this formation are Punny Mathelemusa, Alfonso Hengari, Alfredo Hengari, Ben Uugwanga, Ndumba Kamwanyah, Chefe Muyenga-Muyenga, Kennedy Kandume, Joshua Kaumbi, Kons Karamata and John Pangech.
The student society laid the ground for the formation of the Pan Afrikan Centre of Namibia through the active involvement of Cdes Sam Nujoma, Nahas Angula, Bankie F Bankie, Theo Ben Gurirab, Hage Geingob, Hidipo Hamutenya, Maureen Hinda, Nepeti Nicanor, Pohamba Shifeta, Uazuva Kaumbi, Nghidipo Nangolo, Mushita Mukwabi and Stanley Similo.
PACON was conceptualised to be a Pan-African think tank, serving as a cultural, information, documentation and research centre.
Pan-Africanism in Namibia has been overshadowed by nationalism and party-political machinations.
During the late 1990s, the ideology was hinged on rebutting hegemonic class tendencies, state retrogression, minimalism, elitism, racism, tribalism, gender inequality, political instability, corruption, economic under-development, poverty, unemployment and inequalities.
Currently, it seems as if the foot soldiers of the ideology vanished and engagements on the topic are made in silos.
Equally, it seems as if the vision of PACON is in a moribund. Here and there, the vibrancy and relevance of the ideology are narrated by those who still have a love affair with the concept. Meaning, the concept will only die when the last Pan-Africanist is extinct.
Thabo Mbeki, in his ‘I am an African’ speech, stated, Gloria est consequenda, which translates, ‘glory should be sought’.
The lenses of Pan-Africanism are a paradigm or what is acknowledged as a popular theory by thinkers. Pan-Africanism is relevant to charting a vision for Africa. A number of schools of thought constitute the concept.
However, the author champions, the African Renaissance Philosophy, which is anchored on placing the responsibility on Africans to overcome their challenges and achieve political, economic, cultural and scientific renewal. The African Union has outlined its Vision 2063 in terms of the Africa we want.
The Vision has, among its objectives, the following: the need to promote democracy, peace, security and good governance; promote regional integration, mitigate the spread of HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as to promote international cooperation.
The above objectives are principles that need to be formalised as a strategy by the relevant public institutions of African governments, supported by the fiscus to deliver on the transformation of Africa through transformational policy strategy interventions.
Pan-Africanism offers a partnership between the technically well-established and the technically under-resourced by sharing resources and best practices through capacity building.
At the same time, it remains that huge economic investments should be made in terms of human capital development and the transfer of technology to ensure the public and private sectors are resourced with the requisite human and technological capital resources that are able to steer the transformation agenda of Africa forward.
Pan-Africanism has many conceptual embodiments – some are segregationists, whereas others are integrationists. The author advocates for integrations, co-existence, diversity management, human rights, democracy, technocracy, meritocracy, empowerment, servanthood leadership and total quality management to be the standard to foster the design, implementation, as well as monitoring and evaluation of higher statements to countervail a lack of institutional and technical capacity. Institutions need capacity.
Capacity should be generated through training, benchmarking and the transfer of technology.
Pan-Africanism is based on universal values. It is based on the values that we are one family, whose members need to be treated as equals, deserving of dignity, justice, human rights and empowerment.
The end justifies the means. Therefore, without any double talk, efforts to create the Africa we want through institutional capacity building, intersectoral collaborations and support of bilateral and multi-lateral partners are a modicum for our turnaround.
Africa and Namibia should view Pan-Africanism as a vehicle to foster economic, political, cultural and scientific renewal after we have overcome all our challenges through problem identification, problem mitigation and needs assessment that are actualised through pro-poor service delivery.