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The Organisation of African Unity, the forerunner to the African Union, was founded to spearhead freedom of African countries from colonial bondage. Today, all of Africa is politically free.But is the continent really free? Events at the ongoing 24th Ordinary Session of African Union General Assembly have shown that Africa is making great strides towards total freedom, not just political.
President Mugabe yesterday assumed the chairmanship of the pan-African body, which rotates among regional blocs.
There had been spirited efforts by western countries opposed to Zimbabwe’s empowerment policies, especially the land reform programme, to scuttle Zimbabwe’s greatest moment by lobbying African leaders not to confirm President Mugabe as chair.
These western powers have a financial hold over the AU because the body’s budget is largely funded by Western donors, who provide 60 percent of donor funding.
There was a real danger that some member states could have been swayed to give in to the demands of the West and deny President Mugabe the right to chair the body because they didn’t want to upset the purse holders.
However, African presidents have showed that Africa is no longer a colony by resisting the latest western machinations against Zimbabwe and electing President Mugabe.
Africa did not sell its soul because of a few pieces of silver.
The founders of the struggle for independence such as Kwame Nkrumah must surely be resting in peace wherever they are as events in Addis Ababa showed that Africans were in control of their destiny.
The reasons given by the west why Zimbabwe should not be at the helm of the AU are not convincing. The countries, led by the United States, are claiming that Zimbabwe is under sanctions.
These are illegal sanctions which the AU itself does not recognise as they were not imposed by the United Nations but a few Western nations eager to protect the interests of their white kith and kin who lost land during the watershed fast track land reform programme.
Africa might be lagging behind in terms of economic development compared to the West but that does not mean that it has to bow to the demands of the rich west. The reason why Africa is poor is because of the West which plundered its natural resources and does not want other African countries to empower their citizens like Zimbabwe did.
Western countries fear that Zimbabwe will influence other countries to undertake radical empowerment policies during the time the President is the chairman.
The reality is one day, African countries will be forced to emulate Zimbabwe and give their citizens their birthright, the land.
Already, in South Africa there is agitation for land. Twenty one years into freedom, most South Africans have yet to benefit from their country’s freedom as most are still impoverished.
African leaders in Addis Ababa have shown the world that Africa is a proud continent that will not prostitute itself to demands from the West.
Online Reporter