THE TRUTH ABOUT Africa; as I SEE IT

So many songs have been composed about Africa, so many poems. Most of them lament about how Africa is the land of beauty, richness and prosperity. Maybe true, if you mean beauty, richness and prosperity for the outsiders. Most Africans, in fact, I would go on and say about eighty percent of Africans do not enjoy all that their continent have to offer.

But why, why are Africans the poorest of them all, despite living amongst all the richness. Should we blame it on the Westerners, Asians, or Arabic’s. Or should we blame it on our selves. If we are going to blame it on anyone except ourselves, why should we. Of course, history shows us now that Africans were not the only race enslaved, or colonized, yet Africans are the ones still being affected by it, or so we claim. I mean, Robert Mugabe blames the British for making him a ruthless killer of his people. When he goes out and ‘punishes’ opposition supporters for voting the opposition, refusing to step own despite loosing the elections, he blames it all on the British. Typical

Oh yah, and then there is a case of Africans being poor, despite having such rich soils, producing some of the most important commodities like diamonds, Gold, platinum and Oil to name a few. God knows we shouldn’t be poor if we have all this things. But no, oh no, we are just spectators in our own land as others from outside of Africa explore our lands and enriches themselves with it. We do the hardest but least paying job of it all. Digging and sweating. Most African Governments won’t have it any other way. They have made a deal with the explorers. The explores can keep seventy percent, as long as they kept twenty and invested only ten percent back in the economy. For them getting elected (or forcing themselves into power, as it is so often the case) was not to help their people, but to enrich themselves. How else would you explain King Mswathi’s riches. He lives a very modern wealthy life, while practicing an ancient belief. That of marrying as many wives as he wishes. Of course that’s the only part of culture he is willing to keep. Thanks a lot our dear leaders.

So you see, most Africans you will come across are entrenched in sweat, trying to eke a living of whatever they can. Selling potatoes, tomatoes, onions and other’s while most of it is already in the shops, having being imported from outside the continent, and selling at much lower prices. Most of this people live in extreme poverty, cant afford some of the most basic things like new clothes, and their children look as worn out as the clothes they a re wearing. They smile at any western person they see because to them, westerners signify success.  They grow up struggling, and any chance that they succeed in life, they try to shed of their African identity as much as they can.

Why else do you think successful Africans seldom speak in their mother tongues? Some even go to the extent of trying to change their accent. Of course though, unless you are Michael Jackson, color would always single you out.

So in Africa it would seem, we are like rich children who refused to inherit their parent’s wealth, and decided to go and eat out in the bins.