Enough is Enough

It is articles like this inspired editorial that make your newsletter invaluable (Pambazuka News 139: How Africa develops Europe). Whereas most press outside Africa portray doom and gloom in Africa (as aptly pointed out in the editorial), you offer a rich mix of the good and bad on the continent.

Yes indeed, we Africans need to stand up against the 21st century menace to Africa; the economic, social, and political exploitation of the continent by the so-called 'developed' countries. Rather than being sheep being led to the slaughterhouse, we should say enough is enough. In all our daily endeavours wherever we are, we need to channel our efforts towards the betterment of our motherland. For example, President Kibaki correctly pointed out that were Kenyans in the Diaspora to buy Kenyan tea and coffee, the country wouldn't need anyone else to buy it to better their lot in the farms.

A shift in the mindset of the African is needed; to believe in our continent, and to question grants, aid, etc emanating from the West. As sagely pointed out 'not all that glitters...' and 'when the deal is too good...'. Granted, the Western civilisation has its benefits, but the African will always remain in the periphery of such benefits, being in the agenda when there is something to be reaped, aka Iraq (read Gulf of Guinea - Cameroon, Equitorial Guinea, Chad, Sudan and all the other countries between Nigeria and Angola). We need a new Egyptian civilisation, nay, an African civilisation: at least its nemesis. Only then will Africa's posterity judge us leniently.