The good African citizen

through hook and crook like what the NTC (National Transitional Council) did in Libya. What is worrying is that the nationalist leaders who are the defenders of the revolution are failing to read the signs of the time. The ear-splitting silence by African leaders who masquerade as revolutionary fighters and yet are unable to defend the lynching of some nationalist leaders by the West is quite disheartening.

The North’s vilification of nationalist leaders on grounds of a flawed democratic paradigm is going unopposed; the claim by Gbagbo of a Western sponsored UN rigging of elections went unchallenged and the meeting of Western leaders who were responsible for deposing Muammar Gaddafi in a cold blooded murder bringing in yet another “partition” of Libyan resources right in the face of African leaders was also met with deafening silence.

Will Africa, its leaders and its good citizens wake up from this deep slumber? America and Europe have become an “unholy alliance” to foist good governance, the rule of law and democracy on perceived undemocratic “bad nationalist” leaders. One may ask if there is a one size fits all kind of democracy which the continent should embrace in totality. By accepting such Euro-centric democratic propaganda are nationalist leaders not surrendering their hard won sovereignty to these neo-imperialists? Are they now afraid to be labelled the “bad Africans” and due to such negative labelling lose the Mo Ibrahim Award of good governance?

The breed of African leaders that we now have on the continent seems to be bent on wanting to please the Obamas, Camerons and Sarkozys at the expense of the cultural norms and values of the African masses. It is a paradox, that African Leaders are afraid of suffering the Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Steve Biko, Gbagbo and the Gaddafi fate. These leaders might also dread the Zimbabwean fate of being slapped with Western imposed sanctions.

One philosopher once remarked that, great thoughts rise from the heart, to which the other replied, “yes, but they must go round by the head.” Arguably African leaders are silent because it is easy to traverse along the “old familiar democratic road” be it rocky and bumpy.
The “fearful African leader” cannot contemplate trying to think all over again. Probably Pan-Africanism went with Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and other fallen revolutionaries.

The African leaders have become accustomed to “old habits”. They can no longer come up with new ideas; they are pessimistic about the future hence they only want to swim in familiar water. Disturbing this would be synonymous to shooting self in the foot.
One may ask, what is it about the West that they are afraid of challenging? The neo-imperialist corporations represent “organised opinions” of exploiting Africa’s resources. The crux of the matter is, when an institution has existed “unchallenged” for a very long time or for many generations, it begins to acquire an aura or a halo of sanctity.

The “capitalist machine” and system has got its own laws, it is an institution that can never be perfected. It is arguably human hurting because it is profit oriented.
Dear reader, you must note that if the machine is left alone and if it is not controlled it becomes uncontrollable. The suffocating truth is that, it is a “capitalist machine” and can easily go out of control; it runs its victim down unless its supposed victim reasserts his mastery over it or he becomes a slave.

What we are suggesting dear reader is that our way of thinking need to be readjusted or decolonised as Ngugi waThiongo clearly put it. Not only is it fatal or dangerous to put a belief in a glass and label it, NOT TO BE TOUCHED. Africa must not neglect the duty of thought. If we do not take time to diagnose the cause, then Africa and its people will be at the mercy of anyone whose interests is to dominate it.

Because African leaders are laden with the “thought syndrome” they rely on the West to tell them their problems. This is why Africa has failed to read the signs of the time, this is why “Democracies” tell the continent that people governed by dictators are miserable and cannot call their souls their own.
What the West wants us to understand is what happened in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. For the Africans to withstand the trauma of the ‘bad nationalist leader’ and prepare for a new start with the ‘good liberal leader’ he must become a vehicle and instrument of the regime change agenda. One of our own renowned writers Charles Mungoshi, in a book entitled “Kunyarara Hakusi Kutaura” wrote “kuchema hakufundiswi munhu” (Crying can never be taught). Africans must therefore become their own liberators and must therefore liberate themselves in their own way, it must not be a western induced “independence.” Do the Westerners have the flimsiest idea of what the people of Africa want? Africans want peace and a stable life and not how to change leaders. The African problem is that they want to be taught how to cry.

Pseudo-democratic parties are seduced to politicise issues so that opinion becomes sharply divided. Africans are made to believe almost everything, anything that can comfort them. We are made to be angry and to hate the nationalist leaders and not to pride in our own existence. Dear reader, we are not suggesting that it is unethical to give way to one’s feelings but we should not let our emotions cloud our reasoning. What we must be aware of is that prejudice commences with touching of a sensitive or raw spot.

The tender spot of the Americans, the British or other neo-liberal neo-imperialists is profit. When we rebel against our own leaders we are told how fine fellows we are, we are made to believe that some leaders are scoundrels, cheats or villains that must be taught a lesson. It is therefore not surprising dear reader when you read in the press news stories entitled “Dictators beware.” We are therefore cheered and promised support of all kind; we are persuaded to compel the “bad African leader.” Compulsion cannot be dissociated from violence; it is an appeal to the use of force as a means to an end. The regime change agenda is set through the media because they are aware that the “good and well groomed African citizen” “worships” the printed word.

When the “good African citizen” is confronted with the printed word his mind becomes “bewitched.” The printed word cannot be resisted and dispatches his critical mental faculty to sleep. Dear reader, this becomes a dogma one is forcefully fed so that it becomes some kind of inspiration that will force the good African citizen into frenzy to rebel.

RW Jepson correctly observed that what will actually be happening is that the propagandist is involved in a mind game in which he thrives on the lazy thinker, so they do the thinking for him. It becomes their business to save the “good African” citizen the trouble and saturate his mind with opinions, “second hand opinions.”

Pseudo-democratic African party leaders arguably do not buy second hand clothing because they have donor funds at their disposal. The irony is that they do not have the slightest hesitation to furnish their mental wardrobes with second hand opinions. This is why they are neo-imperialist sponsored.

This is why they are mentally and intellectually spoon-fed. They have sacrificed their God given right to think for themselves. The question that we are asking dear reader is shall we bank our trust in people who are weak-minded or who are mentally defective?