HUGGING AFRICA

HUGGING AFRICA

Preamble

Class, this is just a preamble of what I am going to narrate to you. You have only one responsibility, just to listen. Personally am overwhelmed with a number of issues concerning our continent - Africa. I just can't speak anywhere, as a civil servant, I can end up in trouble. So the only place where I can feel comfortable to discuss is in my class. However, I believe almost all of your friends to me and therefore loyal to me. Even you Chirimakunda, I know your dad is a so - so in so - so for so - so. But I don't think you will dare to narrate all these to him. For what?

Class, all African countries are free today. They cried and fought for freedom, they got it just like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola just to mention a few. Does freedom bring some relief to most African countries or it was better to remain under colonial rule for a while? Please, discuss this. Note, at least 50 pages! A4, font Tahoma, size 12.

AB.

Class lets continue with our brainstorming. Who needs to hug Africa again? Africa over 60 years now has gone through a number of challenges. Africa should ask to be apologized by all those who caused the slave trade-in that continent. Our grandpas and grandmas have been sold like goats and sheep in markets initially at home and finally elsewhere out of Africa. Many died within the process. God forgives Arabs and other peoples from Europe and other parts of the world for this cruel and inhuman act. That again has remained as history written in books and in cinema theatres though the marks of cruelty are still on the bodies of our ancestors and in our minds.

History sometimes is extremely bitter. Ask me why? It reminds us of the bad memories we are trying to forget... Of course, sometimes!

Civil wars have remained a chronic sickness in Africa. By default, many, if not all African states fought during the ages of the struggle for independence or within the territories of local rulers. This was common even before of comings of foreigners to this continent. But after all these, a new syndrome of sickness has emerged in the African continent: wars within individual countries or border to border wars. This has brought Africa back and became a center for armaments business in the Western World, Russia, China or other countries.

Due to the size of the wound Africa suffered, was not supposed to spend a dime on buying armaments and engage in civil wars. Africa was expected to engage on issues of development of their economies, people and focus on their rare resources God has given that rich continent in terms of reality.

Personally, when I look at the African continent, I see non-other than a giant economy sleeping without having an idea of awakening tomorrow or next year.

There has ever been a secret behind all these unhealthy conflicts within the African continent. Some have interests in base metal and gemstones. Some of the conflicts engineers are internal or external business tycoons who have personal interests within specific countries and therefore they are making sure they place kind of governments that could maintain their interests. And sometimes, even some countries are involved in such a situation ranging from cross borders in outsider Africa.

African countries that have oil and gas or signs of those gases, the top 10 base metals, and uranium have emerged to be better targeted to the so-called “Digital Age of Colonial Rule.” At this digital age of colonial rule, whether you like or not, they shall rule you. They shall rule you through technology because you don't have the technology on your own. They shall rule, you over the education system because you have failed over 50 years to have the best education system that suits your needs. They shall rule, you over your culture because you have failed over 50 years to teach your generation the power and value of their culture. And Africa today has no strong mark of its identity except ‘poverty’ and no-ending conflicts as well as unrest, political imbalance, (sorry for that because it's hard to isolate me out of that trap).

Among the values of Africa, is ‘culture’ among the most valuable assets that were expected to be kept keenly like how we store and keep gold or diamonds. Our youth today in Africa, have lost their African identity as well as ideology. With Western lifestyle roaming the streets of Africa, we cannot make it. Why? As an individual, as a country, and as Africa we have already lost our direction. The majority of us, we will not think like Africans, walk like Africans, think like Africans, say like Africans, promote our African culture, African science and African innovations of our own.

Losing your own culture is a serious sickness that requires a quick adjustment and remedy. Africa should not remain a dumping place of all sorts of unwanted gadgets of the so-called first world. There are a number of unwanted gadgets in the Western World. Forget about technology where all doubted technology is tested here, especially in the area of medicine. Africa is not a dumping place where obsolete technology is brought.

There was the time and I hope by now where obsolete computers, both desktops, and laptops were dumped here under the so-called ‘assisting African education system awakening technologically.’ In an overview, we can clap our hands. But in reality, behind the scene, there is a hidden truth. This is how things are taking place here in Africa. Our leaders must think beyond our poverty line.

The sector of technology is a very important sector in the world today. Africa also needs such a technology to run with technological pace worldwide. As a business, as usual, the Western World is targeting Africa in a different angle. On the other side of the coin, Africa itself does not even bother to share ideas or be part of contribution within the technology industry of the world. Always Africa remains a consumer of development, gadgets from the Western World. This is wrong.

When the Western World design or invent their technological hardware to software, they focus on their own use and benefit. Africa should not depend on foreign technology entirely. By doing so, it will be difficult to handle your internal affairs. You cannot demand that you have total freedom and privacy. If the president's laptop or desktop is not of your own technology, the antivirus is not your own technology, even the internet is not depending on your own satellite, then how safe are you? And how can you protect your president?

Africa must have its own technology. Invent its satellites. Have its computers and software. Over 50 years Africa should not remain dependent on foreign technology and assistance. There might be an un-officiated technology undercover. If they do exist, they must be uncovered and put on display. China and most Asian countries, including India, have managed to research and come up with very advanced technology in different sectors depending on their needs. Today, these countries are exporting their technology to foreign countries including Africa and South America. This is a great achievement.

Communication is another area that has been invaded by the Western World and they are reaping billions of dollars each year by exhausting customers by heavy bills and other tariffs without proper control of governments. The area concerned here is the area of mobile phones and their related services. Individual customers have remained victims of embezzlement as the most controlling system is covered by corruption syndrome. For that matter, customers are not protected at all. Some mobile companies are operating at the best and practical service and make their customers running satisfied. But some are corrupt and barbaric yet some African countries remain silent without pinpointing at those companies. This might be they are connected to some big shots who are corrupt.

Each African States Country must own states’ telecommunication companies to render better and affordable services to its people. Private companies can exist just to support existing public service companies. Because we expect the public service institutions to be the role models in terms of quality of service, affordability, security, warranty and guarantee to its consumers and tax collection.

Mining Sector has emerged to become the largest sector in terms of boosting or contributing to the national income annually. The bad side of this sector is a poor management system and corruption engaged. What is rendered as income coming from all taxed areas as stipulated in the official memorandum of understanding, most of the time is just a quarter of what was supposed to be rendered to the respective government. Why this has been possible? Corrupt public officials and the poor controlling system have been a reason on one side. Secondly, the lack of modern technological tools in the management of the mining sector. Thirdly, proper records keeping for the purpose of auditing and tax management. These and other reasons have been made possible deliberately in order to make it possible to deviate from the fact.

Geological Reports as well as drawings and maps which exist today in most of the African libraries and in presidents’ offices, 50% are real and 50 deviates from the fact. African countries should not depend on those records, instead, they should train their own experts from overseas combined with local experts (owning indigenous mining know-how) to come up with their own records of how the top 10 base metals could be detected and mined. How the top 10 gemstones could be detected and mined. To realize where uranium ore, oil, gas and other kinds of stuff of the earth are deposited as they are needed worldwide.

Africa is the potential for the economy of the world. Africa has enough resources needed by the Western as well as Russia, China and other parts of Asia. Africa is not poor. The occupants of Africa can be poor, but not the continent Africa. Africans are poor because before, they had not to struggle for food as wildlife contained free fruits, honey, wild animals, roots and fish. A fed-up man, who got fed up freely minus his movements and little muscles, always being lazy. God favored Africa with tropic weather. Africans lived on this continent as if they are in Eden. But today, things are different. Today, they have to learn how to work efficiently accompanied by emerging technology. And Africa must move forward and become the next giant economy. First, it must compose. Look back. Look where we are and look ahead.

In looking ahead, Africa should focus on about 3 Asian countries. These countries are China, Malaysia, and Singapore. There are some other countries falling under this category, but I have chosen those 3 countries only without a specific reason. Of course, I could talk to countries like Vietnam, North Korea or Indonesia. All these countries had made tremendous changes in their economies within a very short period of time due to their determination.

Why China?

Reason one: History has proven that as Tanganyika and other East African countries were gaining their independence from the British, economically they were almost equal to China. Tanganyika and China adopted the same ‘Socialism' or Communist style of leadership and the economy. This was said is a kind of self-reliant economy where all people shared what they produced and all modes of the economy were public. Fine! That is what took place in some of the African countries like Tanganyika those days, Ghana under Kwame Nkrumah and Patrice Lumumba I think it was trying to build the same in Zaire but lately failed and they killed him.

China struggled with its Communism with a combination of Maoism, Marxism and Leninism theories. China took a sacrifice to build its economy and reshape its people to understand the manifesto practiced under the Peoples' Communist Party of China. The whole process was not a mere ‘trying' but ‘doing' it. And today, China is the most successful economy in the world. They have their own technology or copied and transformed it doesn't matter. They have their own satellites and for that matter, they control their own means of communications for security purposes. They design and manufacture their own armaments ranging from bullets, guns, fighting jets, rockets to ICBMs. They have gone far in terms of advancement technologically.

In terms of agriculture, China is the best in the world. They produce enough food to cater for the internal markets as well as external markets in order to boost foreign earnings. China is the best in producing pad, fruits, and vegetables. They have industries ranging from family industries, middle to super industries run by robots. China today is thinking beyond industrialization.

Recently I heard China is planning to start a project of creating their artificial moon. Think of this level of technology which now is surpassing all odds of technology and man is trying to compete with God!

Malaysia and Singapore just like China they have gone far. Life standards of their people are almost competing with the first world to some extent. And when we talk about people here, we mean the majority of people. Of course, as it is in the developed world, the biscuits of development will not reach all the people. Because some other people by default they used to run away from the trunk roads of development. Usually, the development will not follow you; it's you who have the responsibility for the following development. Development is for the people. But people have a role to play, to follow development. Otherwise, the development will lag people behind if they don't stay on the trunk roads of development.

If Africa will put aside what I can call “boarders’ syndrome, colonial syndrome, color syndrome” and things related to these, sit down and decide to say enough is enough to poverty, sicknesses, unending internal conflicts, wars, killings, corruptions, smugglings, drugs, human trafficking, terrorism, deportation, abducting, presidential limits, etc. Africa would have a new move towards self-development and reliance.

The late Muammar Gaddafi preached several times about why it's important for Africa to unite. All his life he has ever been supporting OAU until it became AU. He had a great idea and he saw a better Africa united to become under one roof of leadership and economy. The same, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere preached all his life, asking different countries of Africa at least to begin with geographical unions; mentioning the East African Union and ECOWAS as a good example of the earlier unification of some of the African countries to be emulated.

What appears to be an individual problem is what some African presidents are afraid to lose their seats as presidents. They have little heart to the extent that, they are too selfish and killing the great idea of one united Africa than a set of presidents with little contribution to the stability and development of Africa. Such kind of leaders they are fun of presidential motorcades, a lot of guards in black suits and guns as if they are playing ‘Commando Movie of Sylvester Stallone’.

African leaders must get out of a daydream and wear a coat of a real leader full of charisma. Africa, we are tired of remaining in the dilemma of understanding what exactly the future of Africa is?

Women and children of Africa are killed like rats in the streets. No one is taking responsibility for their safety. The so-called leaders are in the office enjoying ACs, Milo or Coffee from Paris. Seating on a swinging chair watching a 43-inch television; is this what we have sent these people to do in public offices. These leaders, they have been given everything they need minus working for us. Promoting the standards of the lives of people; booming economy and making sure the security of our borders is well maintained and no invaders are coming to our land. Instead, they have become ‘movie actors’ and business tycoons in State Houses.

When the external world is focused on the African perspective, what exactly do they perceive?

A failed economy?
Is a continent full of incompetent leaders?
Is a continent full of challenges of sickness and diseases?
A continent full of competent learned brothers, but lacking focus?
A continent full of development opportunities but lacking visionaries?
Is a continent full of diamonds and top 10 base metals occupied by blind men? Or
What exactly should they describe as Africa and Africans?

Africa and some African leaders, they love AK 47. They just resemble Osama Bin Laden. On one hand, Osama Bin Laden holds the Holy Quran and on the other hand AK 47. Some of the African leaders you see on television coverage wearing smiles, in fact, is a fake smile. They are good actors like Eddy Murphy in ‘Coming to America movie’. If you could open inside their hearts, you could find AK 47, machetes, pistols and poisons. They are killers and life destroyers. They have Special Forces, which have the responsibility of ‘snatching, beating and killing’ anyone who is not moving together with their ‘styles of leadership.’ In almost all African countries today, no one is allowed to complain, question or comment on any negative opinion relating to the government. And if you do so in public, ‘you will disappear.’ And if you will be back, then you are so lucky and you will come crippled or with one eye! Because the other must have been chopped off without painkiller!

But of all these, there are some good countries where democracy is at its highest peak. A good example is Tanzania. This is the heaven of peace. Since Mwalimu Nyerere reign till now, this country has been very democratic and I presume it would keep being democratic in the future. Things are different here in comparison to other countries. You cannot hear that people are abducted or killed. Not in Tanzania. You cannot hear people are wounded in the cause of their political stands or opinions. Not in Tanzania. You cannot hear or experience election maneuvering and if any disputes may be registered, the court of law will handle the matter in a justifiable manner. I don't lie. I speak and write the truth. What you heard we used to call them 'political propaganda.'

Political propaganda is just a fabrication of a non-existing issue as if that issue exists. These are plenty and just like bread and Blue Band - you cannot separate the two.

#WE CAN HAVE A BETTER AFRICA OF TOMORROW

This hashtag can be launched to begin a new campaign for “A Better Africa of Tomorrow”. In my mind, I thought it could be better if the ‘DIASPORA’ could start this campaign specifically for those who are living in the USA. America has ever been a source of many black movements since the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And if this campaign will start there, something with the impact I believe will happen. The rest of the world where black people are living will support the cause and a new movement will arise. We must look forward with the eagle's eyes to see a better Africa full of a better life for women and children of Africa.

Should we remain silent drinking beer and eating bugger saying its cool no problem? No. Still, there is a room by saying the followings:

OAU to AU is just a mare Union with no impact on African conflicts and other serious matters happening in Africa such as human rights, wars, killings, terrorism and much more. The AU should compose itself and be tough. The question of contributing soldiers to the AU forces is good, but something more should be done to ensure peace and tranquillity within the region. So, AU is trying, but not to its best.

African leaders, you have failed Africa.
Professors, you have failed Africa.
Doctors (Ph.D. Holders), you have failed Africa.
Teachers, you did the best 60%, but 40% you have failed Africa.
Men of God, you made the best40%, but 60% you have failed Africa.
Witch doctors, you have failed Africa 100%.
Politicians, you just tried it for only 30%, but 70% you have failed Africa.
Public servants, you undervalue the economy by 70%, only 30 you performed.
In the private sector, you did it for 45% and underperformed for 55%
The infrastructure you did the best 25%, but 75% you failed Africa.
In the mining sector, you did the best 25%, but 75% you failed Africa.
External financing, you did the best 65%, but 35% you failed Africa.
Corruption 150% you failed Africa.
Diaspora, if organized could support Africa amazingly.
Universities specifically political science has remained zipped.

My feeling is to try to look at the way Africa can move forward economically. That is, what factors if adopted could empower Africa to move forward economically by power by force.

Tools to be used:

Personal broad thinking.
Books on finance and economics (from other intellectuals).
Web sites.
Journals of finance and economics.
Speeches from distinguished public officials, intellectuals, Ministers for Finance, Presidents, etc.
Amplified best practices from China, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. Among others of similar economic size.

To be continued.

"In teaching teach ourselves" - Proverb

Have Fun!
The Team at Educator Pages