Aaron Gono
When South Africa snubs the France-Africa Summit to be held in Nairobi, Kenya next month; some sceptics in the country’s mainstream media decry the move. Currently Africa has one country and leader by the name of Cyril “Thuma Mina” Ramaphosa. He stands for pan-Africanism. Thuma Mina despite some black critics in South Africa call him ” Oppenheimer’s project, he is not.
His country’s challenge of Israel at the International Court of Justice, last year, condemning it of committing ‘genocide ‘ against Palestinians was spectacular. And also his stance against America trying to stop him from aligning with Brazil, Russia, Iran and China, also made me believe in him. I watched the South African delegation led by Naledi Pandor ; presenting their case at the ICJ against Israel. Although the Israeli delegation was sharp, witty and fluid, they were outfoxed by their South African counterparts.
And now Thuma Mina boldly shapes Africa’s foreign policy single handedly not because he is like Donald Trump who plays every instrument in the band. But most African leaders still believe in Europe. They go for holiday, treatment, shopping and sending their kids to prestigious colleges like Harvard, Cambridge , Oxford etc. They own immovable properties in London, Paris, Brussels, Davos, Lisbon etc. They still believe in Europe full time and led by its consultants on how run their economic affairs.
Trump tried to bully South Africa by tariffing its produce and threatening to dislodge it from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), Thuma Mina didn’t move even an inch. Last year it held the G20 Summit and one leader snubbed the event. And again that leader made sure Thuma Mina is not welcome at the G20 Summit to be held in Paris. If Trump can dictate who to attend international events and those who do not qualify, then something is very wrong. And the same G20 countries, which comprise mostly of European countries, didn’t object to his supremacist nightmare. What do African leaders think about themselves? You are not needed at their table, but some still think they are.
Kenya despite of its corruption, it remains the chief beneficiary of western donor money. It is hailed as a ‘ democratic country,’ that tag is something Africa must wean itself from. Donald Trump uses it to justify his neo- imperialism escapades; from Venezuela to Iran, from Iran to Cuba. And African leaders are just ‘Humpty – Dumpties’, sitting on the wall. They don’t rally with one African voice, the continent is now more disoriented, disorganised, dying and decaying. And our children think Donald Trump is the president of America and Africa. Why?
The late President of Zimbabwe, Robert G. Mugabe was a lone voice calling for African countries to be included in the United Nations Security Council. And nobody took heed of his calls. They labelled him a ‘dictator ‘. And now the chickens are coming home to roost. What Mugabe always asked for was inclusion, something African leaders failed to quote. You must thank China, Iran, North Korea and Russia because Trump was coming for you and your lack of unity and one voice was going to be his dissertation. When America was accusing South Africa of committing genocide against the ” Hendrik Frensch Verwoerds” l heard no single voice from the African Unity demystifying his theory. Now again Trump banned Ramaphosa from attending the G20 Summit in Paris, the same order again. Only Julius Malema stood by him.
African leaders stop behaving like committee members of burial societies. We have the fauna and flora, critical minerals and human resources. So where do we miss the party? All we need is here in Africa. Trump is not restoring democracy in the Middle East, he is only fighting to control oil riches in the region. He doesn’t care about the welfare of Arabs there, he needs power and control. Why Africa remains a spectator in shaping geo and economic politics. Where is the curse, and who should cleanse it? None but ourselves!
The European history was dominated by savage attacks against each other in the last centuries but they have moved on. In the 1970s, the Middle East was just as good as Mbare, Marabastad, Khayelitsha and Katutura. But now look at the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, etc, you only see glamour. And back to the mother land, decaying cities and generations quietly entangled in the ” alcohol culture.”
African leaders please we need food on our tables, good education, good health facilities, etc. We also need to prosper and live the way people must to endure all weather terrain. We need peace and respect. We can’t remain pickaninnies in the 21st century. We need to acclimatise or die. ‘Bass Kaap’ mentality must be a thing of the past. All the world is Africa.
