Unhappy Africa After 50 Years Of Independence

Unhappy Africa After 50 Years Of Independence

Why Poverty In Africa Has Become An Elephant In The Room? Part I

By Teaghes Kiflezghi Zimam

In Berlin 1884, exactly 126 years ago Europeans made historical mistakes in sketching “Scramble for Africa –in which they divided the then virgin Africa like a sweet- cake in the way they wanted it. Artificial boundaries were formed; African resources were plundered from Africa to feed European industries.

In spite of the European dirty wars of competition and conflict of interests, they became so united in the case of “Africa Partition Project”. However, after many years of exploitation, many Europeans handed over independence for many African countries with a silver-plate. Thus, historians assume 1960 as the beginning of Africa’s decolonization period from barbaric European colonial yoke. That however doesn’t sound inclusive of all countries for many were betrayed and went for liberation struggles to quest independence through blood and flesh.

This year marks 17 African Countries’ 50th Independence Year. Independence has so many interpretations. But for now I am going to focus totally on political and economic perspectives. Before 50 years, 17 countries of Africa were under barbaric European colonial rule. Now fifty years passed since their decolonization years. After all independence is for the people who were, at one time, unfortunately under repressive foreign regimes. Now the question is, how are the lives of the people after fifty years of independence? Are they satisfied with being independent or have felt the nostalgic years of Whiteman rule? Did they get demands meet from the local leadership? If not, what is wrong? Who will take the blame factor for all the mess?

For now the above-stated questions are very pressing ones for everyone who claims to be living in a free Africa. It is true fifty years may not seem long to accomplish the long-term national objectives. Perhaps it is fair enough to do the urgent homework –like providing enough food and shelter. Nevertheless for any individual with clear set of goals and purposeful life, that individual in spite of his ups-downs, can still be very successful in many ways. However, Africa and its people didn’t make eye-catching advancements. The dissatisfaction gab between the people and leadership becomes even wider. After fifty years of independence still things fall apart.

Many writers and scholars have divergent views as to why Africa is still unhappy continent. The following problems can be stated to validate the argument that African countries have made no dramatic progress in relation to the long years of independence.

1. Neocolonialism

Real independence is characterized by the presence and prevalence of the complete ownership of national matters by concerned people and leadership. It is having total freedom to deal with ones sovereign matters at hand: the political and economic matters. If we go back to the history of master and serf, there we have the established fact of life that the master will end being master, while the serf will undermine himself hopelessly even when he or she is emancipated and so privileged to be treated equally with the master. In other words, if colonialism ends its negative effects may not fade away from the hearts and minds of the victims.

In most African countries the colonial powers have been meddling in internal matters. In some cases, even the former colonial masters instigated intra- state and interstate conflicts deliberately designed to create chaos while keeping their interests in tact. Neocolonialism has two forms: overt and covert ways.

1.1. Interference on local matters

The chronology of meddling in African sovereign matters is not new to the wrongly written Africa’s history. It continued in Congo (Zaire) where Soviets and Americans went neck-to-neck that eventually decapitated the then Congolese Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba. French did it in Francophone regions for several times. The British did it in many ways in defence of Commonwealth Association’s Charters as retribution to their wrongdoings. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has increasingly come into confrontational terms.

Interference has also taken many forms. Many former colonial powers and their close allies changed the tone and continuously dehumanized societies and countries into democratic and undemocratic ones. Good governance has become a trophy of tournament whose seat is in Europe or America. Human Rights issue has also been a very serious issue for an African who even didn’t get the bread and shelter.

1.2. Maintaining Military bases

In many African countries, the former colonial powers and their allies often maintain their presence implicitly and explicitly to protect their short-run and long- run national objective in the face of many emerging powers like China, India, Brazil and so on. The British has much presence in Commonwealth states. The French has military bases in Africa. Worst of all United States stepped forward in Africa firstly as humanitarian supporter. Soon, U.S. successive Administrations considered Africa as the potential continent of resource from which America can sustain its economic power. The American intervention took different forms from those former European colonial powers. It is bold and far more scourging to African identity.

2. Poverty

Shockingly, poverty is a dangerous weapon that can hinder the growth and development of any society, where it is prevalent. Poverty can come in different ways, but the worst form of poverty is that of mind which may be referred to as psychological poverty. Unfortunately, Africa suffers from all forms of poverty.

After 50 years of independence, most of African countries in the 20th Century, poverty, hunger, disease, etc. became the major factors that the continent has to contend with, and the negative effects of poverty have stretched into the 21st Century causing greater problems not only affecting Africa as a continent, but also the rest of the world.

For millions of countrymen and women in Africa, poverty has become an elephant in the room. When Africa is rich in natural resources and the arable land is not only vast but also fertile, it is embarrassing to talk of poverty as a major problem in 21st Century.

It seems that the problem lies with African leadership whose policies have not formulated to meet basic needs of life: food and shelter. Still victimized village girls are fetching water from remote areas and even worse these girls go far to search fire-sticks. Then guerilla fighters rape them. Traumatized by fear and apparition they come back with their empty bellies and dehydrated bodies. But the enemies of innocence and innocent ones may certainly disregard except their whim to snatch a young-girls’ dignity. It is like calling a spade-spade. As a result millions of impoverished people live in handout often made in the name of foreign aid.

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