Sundaymail Editor
Philip Mataranyika
Today, Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in general, and Africans everywhere in the world in particular, in commemorating Africa Day.
The day itself can be traced back to May 25, 1963, when 32 Heads of African States whose countries had attained independence signed the Charter establishing the continent’s first post-independence continental institution at a summit in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, aptly naming it the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Since then, May 25 has remained a significant date on the African calendar, serving as a permanent reminder of the OAU’s founding principles. The organisation was transformed into the African Union (AU) on July 9, 2002.
The theme of this year’s events is, “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social, and Economic Capital Development.”
While the theme resonates with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by United Nations (UN) member countries in September 2015, and draws from the poverty and deprivation imposed on the continent by historical factors such as the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and colonisation, there is much to reflect on today.
In countries such as Ethiopia, Mali, Sudan, Guinea, Mozambique and Chad, there are traces of instability that do not auger well with the vision and aspirations of the continent’s founding fathers, including Julius Nyerere and Kwame Nkrumah.
On the electoral front, numerous African states are scheduled to hold elections this year, putting their commitment to democratic principles to the test.
Africa is stuck at the back of the line, while the rest of the globe is well on its way to digital transformation. Similarly, due to a lack of resources, the continent is falling behind in the fight against climate change.
Budget constraints also continue to prevent Africa from launching a coordinated response to natural disasters, such as the ongoing struggle against Covid-19.
Crucially, the continent has struggled in trade, accounting for only approximately 2 percent of global exports according to 2020 trade estimates.
In light of this, it would be hollow to commemorate Africa Day without appealing to the conscience of millions of Africans to help turn the continent’s fortunes around.
The continent has consistently lost considerable skills to the rest of the world through brain drain, leaving Africa poorer.
Worse still, between the 16th and 19th centuries, Africa lost up to 12 million productive men and women who were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean during the slave trade, to countries such as the United States of America, Brazil, and Caribbean Islands, which now host significant populations of descendants of enslaved Africans.
Isn’t it past time for Africans, wherever they may be, to heed the voice of reason by embracing their ancestors’ homeland as their home and using the power of ICTs to actively engage in the continent’s restoration, brick by brick?
If you are an African, now is not the time to wait to be invited to do what is good for the continent; but rather to invite yourself because the continent’s tremendous opportunities wait for no one. It’s pointless to complain about outsiders rushing in to seize chances when Africa’s residents are themselves, armchair critics.
Due to destruction of traditional cultures, disintegration of societal fabric, and glorification of violence and the culture of warlords, Africa’s economies, which were heavily reliant on agriculture, were severely weakened during the slave trade. Resultantly, warfare and famine increased.
While people like Thomas Clarkson, William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano, Toussaint Louverture, and Frederick Douglas did their part in pushing for an end to slavery, it is now everyone’s responsibility to prove that their efforts were not in vain.
The most befitting way to honour them is for the descendants of those who suffered as a result of the slave trade, as well as our brothers and sisters who are eking out a living in foreign lands, to strive tirelessly to restore the continent’s dignity.
Given the abundance of resources under Africa’s soils, the continent should not be in this position. The continent being labelled a charity case is an indictment on all Africans, regardless of where they live.
As we celebrate Africa Day, it is therefore critical to remember that only we can restore the continent and its 54 nation states. Is it not embarrassing to see the continent being exploited through the exportation of primary products when these could be beneficiated locally?
The revenue could be used to fund massive infrastructure projects on the scale seen in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Japan, given the skills that Africans have acquired in their host countries where they are offering their labour.
The liberation we obtained from our former colonial oppressors will be hollow until Africa claims its rightful place. In the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”
The truism of the “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” philosophy, which has been effectively used elsewhere, particularly in the countries mentioned above, could be an excellent place to start from.
At this time, I’m reminded of the late great Bob Marley’s words, “Emancipate oneself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!”
Africa, home to 16 percent of the world’s population and the world’s second largest and second most populous continent after Asia, must have weight in global geopolitics.
When you look at ancient Egypt and Carthage in North Africa, it is clear that the continent is the cradle of early human civilization.
It also contains tremendous resources, despite being the poorest and least developed in the world. A call to us all is to revisit the key objectives and vision of the OAU at its birth in 1963, with a view to right the wrongs that we see around us where brother is fighting brother.
Today, the fights and conflicts the continent has been battling represent a tragic departure from the principles that the OAU championed at its inception.
One example is the xenophobic attitudes that have emerged in one of Africa’s newest countries, South Africa, despite the fact that its independence came at a high price for some of its neighbours.
The attitude of solidarity and the Pan-African vision for a free and united Africa founded on principles of equality; justice and dignity demonstrated by the 32 leaders – including Ghana’s Nkrumah, Ethiopia’s Haile Selassie, and Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser – must be praised and should guide how Africans live today.
After witnessing the dehumanizing effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonisation, the founding fathers of the OAU recognised the need to reestablish the dignity of African people.
As we celebrate Africa Day, wherever we might be, we should continue to support their efforts to improve understanding among African peoples and develop collaboration among African states.
There is no way nutrition and food security can be attained while people are warring. This emphasizes the necessity of international peace and coexistence and the highest level of tolerance.
Today, Africa’s 54 states must continue to work towards the achievement of the OAU’s critical objectives, which include:
• To promote the unity and solidarity of the African States;
• To coordinate and intensify their cooperation and efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa;
• To defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence;
• To eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa; and
• To promote international cooperation, having due regard to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In the face of climate change, food security, which has a bearing on nutrition, remains under threat. As a result, efforts must be made to mitigate the effects of climate change so that the continent can produce enough food for its population.
Colonization resulted in the exploitation of resources from the continent, which improved the lifestyles of colonizing nations, particularly European countries. As a continent, we must rise above these setbacks and begin working toward our goals.
Unity must transcend our distinct geographies, cultures, faiths, and languages, among other traits, as we redeploy our efforts toward common goals, keeping in mind that diversity is an essential component of our daily lives.
If countries worked together to rid the continent of colonialism, surely what can stop them from working together to eliminate poverty?
Working together and cultivating mutual understanding will assist Africa in achieving peace.
Peace will enhance our working conditions, and as a people, we will inevitably achieve food security. Health and well-being will also be ensured, and poverty will be eliminated as the continent’s wealth is distributed more equitably. Today is a day to recognize how far Africa has come against all odds, as well as how much more work remains to be done to ensure that all Africans can live healthy and happy lives. Let us thus continue to strive for a better Africa and a more equitable international system together.
Happy Africa Day, Sahwiras!
*Philip Mataranyika is Nyaradzo Group CEO
Online Reporter