Tio Nakasole
The contemporary economic state of Africa state is more divided than ever before in the history of its own. Division is one of the tools used by the imperialist to rule us with an iron fist, yet the economic key indicator depicts this form of segments in the current governance.
As per se, everything starts and ends with leadership, be it failure or victory. History cannot be distorted nor be twisted to be used against the current leadership, but the current leadership can be chastised, advised, held accountable, and given flashbacks of certain impediments that confront the economy, they are leading. What precedes the freedom we are enjoying today was brought about because of the fallen heroes. The “Ubuntu” believers are those who possess selfless lifestyles that seek to honour human relationships as primary in any economic, social, or corporate activity – a social philosophy, a way of being, a code of ethics and behaviour deeply embedded in African culture.
The African Genesis
To name but a few, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana (Ubuntu – being African), Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (ujamaa), Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia (Ubuntu – being human), Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe (Ubuntu – importance of land), Nelson Mandela of South Africa (Ubuntu – reconciliation), Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya (Harambee), Samora Machel of Mozambique (Ubuntu –importance of independent and land), Seretse Khama of Botswana (Kagisano), Desmond Tutu of South Africa (Reconciliation), Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, Sam Nujoma of Namibia and many other Pan Africanists in west, east, north, central and southern Africa. They were all motivated by “Ubuntu”, which was “to be human is to be free”. They believed in the unseen potential of all humans to be free. They felt grateful for all Africans to be liberated and hopeful naturally, to compassionately forgive and forget the offences of their oppressors. They refused to label other people, to stereotype, categorise and prejudge. Of course, some of these people have their own weaknesses, but at the onset, we have to face the reality on the ground since judgement cannot be passed against the dead.
I felt conscripted and moved to write this piece not as an economist but as one whose blood is inspired by the dimension of life in Africa and its economy that need a revamp of the spirit of “Ubuntu” in all spheres of governance.
The Grey Misnomer
The fundamental problems that African states are facing today cannot be solved on the superficial level on which they occurred. Undoubtedly, the African values have a huge impact to contribute to the world consciousness. However, Africa is deeply taken in a lopsided fashion by the West for a number of reasons. Firstly, most of the wealthiest of Africa’s traditional cultures are being turned a blind eye to since it is oral rather than written and lived rather than formally communicated. In the aftermath of independence, some African political leaders have opted to betray many of the very philosophical and humanitarian principles on which African cultures – which brought freedom – are rooted from. Lastly, people in the West, for whatever motive, receive negative and limited information through media, and images of ethnic wars, dictatorships, famine, and AIDS predominate, so the unity and potential contribution of African values are often lost in these images. Up to today, there is no remedial formula.
Right way or way too high
Economically, from independence, almost three decades at the back, Africa not only constitutes the largest percentage of the world’s natural resources such as diamond, gold, plutonium, uranium, manganese, coal, silver, and oil but is full of resilient leaders who always open their hands to their oppressors. On the other side of the coin remains that you cannot claim independence when you depend on others for control of your most important lifeline. You cannot claim independence when the value and worth of your resources are only right when they are being determined by Caucasians. You cannot permeate the spirit of “Ubuntu” to the next generation if the state of your democracy is only right when is gauged outside the continent. You cannot claim freedom of human beings if the befall of the Gold Standard is being vilified and the allowing of the printed paper that is not backed by any tangible valuable metal is being championed. You cannot claim in an “Ubuntu” spirit if Africa is the handout of the world’s aids, high unemployment, and the destitute while having abundant resources at its disposal being traded in raw form. You cannot claim economic emancipation if Africa owes the world around US$357 billion. You cannot pass the torch of “Ubuntu” to the next generation when you are being brain-drained by the West on how you should govern your continents and what economic system is right for us. In fact, we are being puzzled and disjointed on the best way they can to continue with the legacy of their colonialism.
The search for excellence
Prominent researcher and executive Liz Wiseman challenged those who seek to be the change agents that “Changing a culture meant changing the conversation. And to change the conversation, people would need new words, especially words about behaviour that would lead to winning results.” If not all but most of the current leadership in Africa are in stark contrast to Mandela, Kenyatta, the Kenyan Mau-Mau leader, Nkrumah, Malimu, Nyerere and Nnamdi Azikiwe; all of whom were ready to give up their lives in solidarity of “Ubuntu” and in pursuit of the freedom of their people.
Lastly, for Africa to realise its economic supremacy, it needs to have front-runners that lead the entire society with some “Ubuntu” level of proximity, but at scale. Understanding of culture and values is needed as a medium of transmission for an African-Agenda 2023 not to become a pipedream.
* Tio Nakasole is an MBA student at NUST, an Economics Honours Degree holder. - theoerastus@gmail.com