This statement is directed to the new leaders that have been mandated by the citizens to lead them in the next five years, specifically Mr Nyusi in Maputo, Lt. Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama in Gaborone and Dr Hage Geingob in Windhoek.
In this painful world of capitalism where you find a number of people still putting their trust in you to lead them, it is important for African leaders to thank God and be human enough to serve the citizens.
Africans have realised that their woes and troubles on the continent are as a result of an economic system of the west called capitalism. African resources are not benefitting the citizens of the continent because capitalism has nothing to do with the owners of the resources, other than offering kickbacks and corrupting those in power for the benefit of owners of the capital from the West and East.
Even though it is like this, Africans continue and keep voting in their numbers for the very leaders who are conspirators of capitalism. This is what has made many leaders to take advantage of the citizens only needing them during the time of elections but once voted into office they distance themselves.
They dine with the architects of capitalism leaving citizens to scavenge for food in dustbins. They suffocate their lives through lack of employment opportunities to share the rich resources of the continent has.
The 2014 elections are the last for parties to be elected into government on the platform of history; as from 2019 onwards elections in Africa will be for economic emancipation of the citizens in the continent not outsiders.
African citizens have given enough loyalty to all our leaders with the anticipation for peace and harmony with blind loyalty thinking that peace can put food on the table, only to open eyes too late. Peace and stability mean owning a decent home, earning decent wages and having nutritious food on the table.
Having waited for so long, and watched our leaders getting very rich and wealthier, African citizens have discovered that African leaders have no regard for the plight of the poor rather they care so much about personal wealth that comes by cutting corrupt deals with foreign investors.
In this statement we appeal to all the newly elected leaders in the countries above and those that have already gone through elections to change their attitudes over the way their governments treat their citizens.
It is useless and nonsensical to attract foreign investment when such investments do not make any difference on the livelihoods of the citizens of the states of Africa.
African leaders who are elected from this year onwards must make sure that in each and every investment that comes whether from the West or East, there must be a 50/50 deal where both the investors and the citizens are winners.
The type of capitalism today is modern day slavery where those that are supposed to benefit for owning resources are supposed to be laughing and smiling but instead are crying and languishing in poverty yet those coming to exploit are laughing all the way to Antwerp, London, New Delhi, New York and other major cities of the world.
In a unified voice Africa must denounce capitalism as a tool that is making our continent lag behind in both human and infrastructure development.
In less than a month almost all African countries are going to enter 2015 without any project to signify that the set goals by the UN codenamed Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have been achieved. This is because the businessman called the western or eastern investor has been allowed to practise capitalism at the expense of the citizens.
Congratulations, however, to all the elected candidates and those already in leadership in Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius and others.
Namibia is one of the richest countries in Africa. With sound and able leadership, unemployment and the gap between the rich and the poor can be sealed within 24 months. Namibia can be one of the countries in SADC (Southern African Development Community) that can import labour from neighbouring states taking in mind its small population and the vast land and resources in mining, fishing, agriculture, tourism and human capital.
We must remember that the resources we have today will never be there forever and this is the right time for us to do the right things for our nations and citizens. Let us remember the old saying, “Make hay while the sun shines”.
The sun is shining in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and the rest of the continent this is the time to make hay.
•This statement is a combination of congratulations for the peaceful, free and fair elections in Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique. It was compiled in the situation room of the Forum For the Future of Africa (FFFA) – Saunders Jumah.