POLITICS
Africa Must Unite!
© Narendra Gajjar, Camera Press An imperative of our Time
Oliver Tambo chatting with President Kaunda of Zambia and Presient Nyerere of Tanzania as the leaders depart from the Dar Es Salaam Summit
I believe that the fundamental question we must consider, critically, as we celebrate the OAU@50, is - what have we done over half-a-century to advance towards the achievement of the objective of African unity?
By Thabo Mbeki
12 THE THINKER POLITICS
his year, 2013, Africa celebrates therefore a common African identity. in 1888: 50 years of the existence of It is because of this common African “We as well as you are of the Kush Tthe very first Organisation in identity that we find that the various tribe. We are African brothers. In the entirety of the existence of our languages, such as Hausa in Nigeria, addition we are close neighbours, as a Continent, the Organisation of African the indigenous languages in Southern result of which we ought to be united Unity (OAU), established to assert Africa, and kiSwahili in East Africa, and fight back and stand together and pursue the unity of Africa among to some extent, share some common against the European colonialists…” and despite its immensely diverse words, proverbs and idiomatic Abu Anja rejected this proposal on nationalities, cultures, languages and expressions. grounds that continue to play a role in religious beliefs, and imposed national Indeed, in antiquity, some Africans, Africa’s efforts to unite. He wrote to the boundaries. part of the very first members of the Emperor: Thus must we understand that the species homo sapiens, the global “As for your request for peace historic effort to achieve practically modern humanity, migrated out of while you remain (a Christian) infidel the unity of Africa, expressed through Africa, not bound by any physical this is impossible. There is nothing the establishment of the OAU, is only or political boundaries, to constitute between you and us, the Italians and 50 years old, and is therefore in its the founding base of today’s diverse the Europeans. Your safety is in Islam infancy. world community of peoples, in all and your destruction in your disbelief.” In this context we must take into Continents. However, early in the 1890s account the first historic task the OAU In effect, by the time of the Mahdist Sudan came into conflict with correctly set itself at its foundation. This Berlin Conference, the Africans had the Italian forces that had occupied was to unite in the ultimately successful established the fact in practice, through Eritrea. Among others this resulted in but otherwise complex and protracted the millennia, that they were bound the defeat of the Sudanese forces by struggle to ensure the total liberation the Italians in a battle in eastern Sudan, of Africa from colonialism and white Even today large at Kassala, in 1894. minority rule. This objective was only The following year, as Ethiopia achieved in 1994, 31 years after the swathes of our prepared to confront the Italian establishment of the OAU, with the Continent, across colonial forces, Ethiopian Emperor liberation of South Africa. Menelik II wrote to the ruler of Sudan, and without regard to Khalifa Abdullahi, suggesting the same African historical reality the many colonially cooperation between Ethiopia and During the millennia before the Sudan against European colonialism colonisation of our Continent, we imposed boundaries, which Emperor Yohannes IV had did indeed have a few Kingdoms as share the same proposed. established state formations, many of In his letter sent in April 1895, them with ill-defined jurisdictions in languages and Menelik wrote: terms of territory and sovereignty over cultures, and therefore “When you were at war against distinct ethnic groups. Emperor Yohannes, I was also fighting The fact is that largely, as Africans, a common African against him; there has never been a war we did not have the hard borders of identity. between us, (Sudan and the Ethiopian individual “nation states”, even in the regional Shoa Kingdom)…Now, we Sudan, Egyptian and Carthaginian together by a common identity, not are confronted by an enemy worse antiquity. These were imposed on the defined by any borders or boundaries. than ever. The (European) enemy has Continent as a result of the infamous The periods of slavery and come to enslave both of us. We are of 1885 Berlin Conference, which carved colonialism obliged the then African the same colour. Therefore, we must up Africa into geographically defined leadership, certainly during the 19th co-operate to get rid of our common territories owned by the various Century, to recall and evoke the fact of enemy.” European colonial powers. These this historical common African identity. This time, eight days before, and boundaries largely serve as Africa’s Accordingly it called for the unity of all subsequently, during the historic Battle current State borders. Africans to defend themselves against of Adwa, at which the Ethiopians Over the millennia the Africans the predations of the foreign colonising defeated the Italians, ensuring the migrated freely and widely across our powers. independence of Ethiopia, the Continent, effectively treating our Sudanese forces engaged the Italians in Continent as a common patrimony and Early African resistance to a number of battles in eastern Sudan, matrimony. Colonialism but were defeated. This is the reason that even today For instance, when the Sudan However, despite their temporary large swathes of our Continent, across Mahdist forces were about to invade victories, the Italians were obliged to and without regard to the many Ethiopia, Emperor Yohannes IV of maintain significant forces at Kassala colonially imposed boundaries, share Ethiopia sent this prescient message to during the period of the Battle of Adwa, the same languages and cultures, and the Mahdist leader, Hamdan Abu Anja, to ensure that Khalifa Abdullahi’s
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Sudan forces did not attack the Italians just as, in the First Scramble for Africa, development, to achieve the socio- from the rear. Thus, by reducing the one tribe was divided against another economic transformation of our size of the forces the Italians could to make the division of Africa easier, Continent in favour of the ordinary commit at Adwa, Sudan contributed to in the Second Scramble for Africa one African masses; and the Ethiopian victory at Adwa. nation is going to be divided against • the building of a system of politics These interactions between the another nation to make it easier to and governance on our Continent then two independent African States of control Africa by making her weak and not dominated by domestic and Ethiopia and Sudan, towards the end divided against herself… international private capital, which of the 19th Century, especially in the “African Nationalism is meaningless, capital would produce politicians context of the colonisation of Africa, is anachronistic, and is dangerous, if it interested in self-enrichment, rather tell an important story which I believe is not at the same time Pan Africanism.” than the eradication of poverty and still holds important lessons for Africa as In the same speech Mwalimu underdevelopment for the benefit we continue to address the challenge Nyerere reflected on capitalism. This of the working people. of achieving the unity of Africa. was to discuss the development path With regard to our own country, which independent and united Africa What Emperor Haile Selassie said South Africa, many of us who were would have to pursue, in Mwalimu’s Two years after Mwalimu Nyerere brought up politically by the ANC view, taking care to refuse to be delivered the speech we have have always known that the goal of dominated by either the Western or cited, on May 23, 1963, Ethiopian African unity has stood out as one of the then Socialist countries. Emperor Haile Selassie I delivered the central objectives of our national Mwalimu said: his historic Opening Address to begin liberation movement. This is because “To my mind, capitalism went the proceedings of the Conference of what we learnt from our history, wrong when it divorced Wealth from of Independent African States which from the period of the establishment of its true purpose. The true purpose of established the Organisation of African the ‘Ethiopian Church’ in our country - Wealth is to satisfy very simple needs: Unity – the OAU. a Church independent of the colonial the need for food, the need for shelter, This seminal speech was fully European Church towards the end of the need for education and so on. In consistent with what Mwalimu Nyerere the 19th Century - and even earlier, to other words, the end of Wealth is the had said. In fact it defined in greater the moment of the establishment of the banishment of Poverty; and Wealth is detail what should be done to give ANC. to Poverty what Light is to Darkness… content to the shared aspiration for the What emphasised this for us was “There is enough Wealth in every unity of Africa. that the ANC was established with one state for every individual to satisfy It might be that some readers of this of its specifically expressed objectives these basic needs. But the moment any article may be surprised and amazed being “to bury the demon of tribalism” individuals in a single state begin to use that I will refer so insistently to what – the tribalism which had created the Wealth, not for the satisfaction of those was said by a feudal African monarch, African disunity that resulted in the needs, not for the abolition of poverty, Emperor Haile Selassie I. victory of the European project (which but for the purpose of acquiring power In this regard I would humbly advise was disastrous for us as Africans), to and prestige, then there is not enough these to bear in mind that this feudal colonise our Continent! (Wealth). Then Wealth tolerates monarch represented a millennia-old Poverty; then Wealth is not to Poverty African Kingdom. During the period What Mwalimu Julius Nyerere said what Light is to Darkness. of colonialism in the 19th and 20th Mwalimu Julius Nyerere captured “There is not enough Wealth in any Centuries, like the rest of our indigenous the all-Africa sentiment for African nation to satisfy the desire for power traditional African state formations, unity when he addressed the World and prestige of every individual, so throughout Africa, it occupied the front Assembly of Youth in Dar-es-Salaam in what happens? There is then ruthless trenches in the struggle to defend the 1961. competition between individuals…to independence of the peoples of Africa. On this occasion he said: seize enough Wealth to give themselves In this context, specifically, inspired “I am a firm advocate of African more power, more prestige than their especially by the historic victory at unity. I am convinced that, just as unity fellows. That is, Wealth which exceeds Adwa during which the Ethiopian was necessary for the achievement of their real need and which will enable masses were led by his preceding the independence of Tanganyika, or them to dominate other individuals.” Emperor, Haile Selassie had to lead in any other nation, unity is necessary Mwalimu Nyerere saw African unity the resistance to the brutal Italian for the whole of Africa, to achieve and as being of decisive importance to all occupation of Ethiopia during the maintain her independence. African countries with regard to three period of the Second World War. This “I believe that the phase from which matters, especially during the period of process began with the Italian colonial we are now emerging successfully is the the Cold War. These were: war in Ethiopia in 1935, and ultimately phase of the First Scramble for Africa, • the successful defence of Africa’s led to the recovery of Ethiopia’s and Africa’s reaction to it. We are now hard-won independence; independence from Italian colonialism entering a new phase – the phase of • the use of that independence in 1941. the Second Scramble for Africa. And to chart an independent path of In this struggle, Haile Selassie led
14 THE THINKER POLITICS his people and country inspired by disappointment and disillusionment OAU we have cited, Haile Selassie everything his predecessors, particularly which followed in its train?” made important comments which Emperor Menelik and Empress Taitu, We are half-a-century hence after remain relevant to this day. had done to defend the independence the establishment of the OAU. We In fact, these served as the Agenda of Ethiopia, including during the Battle must respond to the questions and of the critical “Grand Debate on the of Adwa, which resulted in the defeat challenges which Emperor Haile Union Government of Africa”, the of colonising Italy in the aftermath of Selassie posed on the very eve of theme of the AU Summit Meeting held the Berlin Conference. the establishment of our Continental in Accra, Ghana in 2007, which also This Italian invasion and occupation Organisation. celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the in the 20th Century sought to reverse independence of Ghana. the humiliating defeat which imperialist What has been done to achieve In the 1963 Address by Emperor Italy had suffered in the previous African unity? Haile Selassie we have cited, he said: Century, in 1896, at Adwa. I believe that the fundamental "While we agree that the ultimate Thus it was that Ethiopia was one question we must consider, critically, destiny of this Continent lies in political of the three African countries which as we celebrate the OAU@50, is - Union, we must at the same time participated in the establishment of what have we done over half-a-century recognise that the obstacles to be the United Nations Organisation (UN) to advance towards the achievement of overcome in its achievement are at at the end of the Second World War, the objective of African unity? once numerous and formidable. these being Ethiopia, Liberia and South “Africa's people did not emerge Africa. into liberty under uniform conditions. What Haile Selassie said 50 years What Haile Africans maintain different political ago, at the founding Conference of the Selassie said 50 years systems. Our economies are diverse. OAU, remains, to this day, a defining Our social orders are rooted in differing statement in terms of what Africa must ago, at the founding cultures and traditions. do to realise her hopes. This includes Conference of the “Further, no clear consensus exists the achievement of her unity, the OAU, remains, to on the "how" and the "what" of this defence of her independence, the Union. Is it to be, in form, federal, implementation of an independent this day, a defining confederal or unitary? Is the sovereignty development programme, and statement in terms of of individual states to be reduced, and constructing a polity in favour of if so, by how much, and in what areas? the emancipation of the ordinary what Africa must do to “On these and other questions African people from poverty and realise her hopes. there is no agreement, and if we wait underdevelopment. for agreed answers generations hence, Having laid out a very clear matters will be little advanced, while roadmap, the Emperor sounded a This is particularly important the debate still rages. warning and a call which must surely because I believe that the perspective "We should, therefore, not be be at the centre of our reflections as we advanced by Mwalimu Nyerere and concerned that complete Union is not celebrate the OAU@50. Emperor Haile Selassie, so many attained from one day to the next. The He said: decades ago, and even as early as the Union which we seek can only come "A century hence, when future 19th Century by other African patriots gradually, as the day-to-day progress generations study the pages of history, is true and correct - that as Africans we which we achieve carries us slowly but seeking to follow and fathom the cannot achieve our all-round liberation inexorably along this course…When a growth and development of the African and renaissance unless we act in unity. solid foundation is laid, if the mason is continent, what will they find of this This means that none of our able and his materials good, a strong Conference? countries can achieve its individual house can be built… “Will it be remembered as an fundamental objectives, to guarantee "Through all that has been said and occasion on which the leaders of a its independence and to determine written and done (on our Continent)…, liberated Africa, acting boldly and with its own independent path of socio- there runs a common theme. Unity is determination, bent events to their will economic development, acting on its the accepted goal. and shaped the future destinies of the own, outside the context of united ‘We argue about means. We African people? African action. discuss alternative paths to the same “Will this meeting be memorialised It is for this reason that I am objectives. We engage in debates for its solid achievements, for the convinced that the task to reflect on about techniques and tactics. intelligence and maturity which the challenges and opportunities to “But when semantics are stripped marked the decisions taken here? realise the objective of meaningful away, there is little argument among “Or will it be recalled for its African unity must stand at the centre us. We are determined to create a failure, for the inability of Africa's of our celebration of the OAU@50. Union of Africans. leaders to transcend local prejudice In this context, in the Address at “In a very real sense, our continent and individual differences, for the the Conference which established the is unmade. It still awaits its creation
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and its creators. “But if we fail and let this grand and “It is our duty and privilege to rouse historic opportunity slip by, then we the slumbering giant of Africa, not shall give way to greater dissension and to the nationalism of Europe in the division among us for which the people Nineteenth Century, not to regional of Africa will never forgive us. And the consciousness, but to the vision of a popular and progressive forces and single African brotherhood bending its movement within Africa will condemn united efforts toward the achievement us… of a greater and nobler goal.” “Africa must unite!” What Kwame Nkrumah said For his part, and at the same Africa unmade! founding Conference of the OAU in To answer the vital and historic 1963, the outstanding African patriot, question - what is to be done? - Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, said: concerning the challenge to achieve “We are fast learning that political the unity of Africa, so vital to the independence is not enough to rid us of future of our Continent, we will have the consequences of colonial rule. The to respond honestly and frankly to the Samora Machel movement of the masses of the people stark summary of our condition which of Africa for freedom from that kind of to the gait of camels and donkeys. Emperor Haile Selassie described when rule was not only a revolt against the We cannot afford not to cut down he said: conditions which it imposed. the overgrown bush of outmoded “In a very real sense, our Continent “Our people supported us in our attitudes that obstruct our path to is unmade. It still awaits its creation and fight for independence because they the modern open road of the widest its creators.” believed that African governments and earlier achievement of economic I am convinced that the could cure the ills of the past in a way independence and the raising up of Centuries-long period of the violent which could never be accomplished the lives of our people to the highest seizure and export of African slaves under colonial rule… level… to the Americas and Arabia, and the “It is said, of course, that we “Even for other continents lacking European imperialist and colonial have no capital, no industrial skill, the resources of Africa, this is the age domination of Africa, ‘unmade Africa’. no communications and no internal that sees the end of human want. For Accordingly, our striving to achieve markets, and that we cannot even us, it is a simple matter of grasping the Renaissance of Africa must focus agree among ourselves how best to with certainty our heritage by using the on the ‘remaking’ of Africa! utilise our resources for our own social political might of unity. All we need That ‘remaking’ must aim to achieve needs. Yet all stock exchanges in the to do is to develop with our united exactly the objectives which Mwalimu world are pre-occupied with Africa’s strength the enormous resources of our Julius Nyerere, Emperor Haile Selassie gold, diamonds, uranium, platinum, continent… and Kwame Nkrumah set before and copper and iron ore. “African unity is above all, a during the establishment of the OAU. “Our capital flows out in streams to political kingdom which can only be Some of the central questions we irrigate the whole system of Western gained by political means. The social will have to answer in this regard, as we economy. Fifty-two per cent of the gold and economic development of Africa celebrate the OAU@50, to respond to in Fort Knox at this moment, where the will come only within the political the challenges posed by Emperor Haile USA stores its bullion, is believed to kingdom, not the other way round. Is it Selassie, are: have originated from our shores… not unity alone that can weld us into an • of what should this remaking of “No independent African state effective force, capable of creating our Africa (and re-creation) consist?; today by itself has a chance to follow own progress and making our valuable and an independent course of economic contribution to world peace?... • who will be the creators? development, and many of us who “So many blessings flow from our Kwame Nkrumah answered the have tried to do this have been almost unity; so many disasters must follow second of these questions when he said ruined or have had to return to the on our continued disunity. The hour at Addis Ababa in 1963, “the popular fold of the former colonial rulers. This of history which has brought us to and progressive forces and movements position will not change unless we this Assembly is a revolutionary hour. within Africa will condemn us…(if we have a unified policy working at the It is the hour of decision. The masses disappoint) “the (call of the) people of Continental level… of the people of Africa are crying for Africa…for the breaking down of the “What need is there for us to remain unity. The people of Africa call for the boundaries that keep them apart…” hewers of wood and drawers of water breaking down of the boundaries that As I have said, these boundaries for the industrialised areas of the keep them apart… were imposed on Africa as a world?... “This Conference should mark consequence of the Berlin Conference “We cannot afford to pace our the end of our various groupings and and were therefore themselves part of needs, our development, our security, regional blocs… the colonial legacy which anti-colonial
16 THE THINKER POLITICS and anti-imperialist Africa had to we can say that we have not succeeded on events as they pass into history.” address! in bridging the divide between the The fact however is that, as In reality, the ‘boundary’ that ‘Monrovia’ and ‘Casablanca’ groups. Marx had said, the African leaders Kwame Nkrumah was talking about This is necessary to build the African gathered in Addis Ababa in 1963 was the divide between “the popular political coalition which would lead did not have the liberty, as Nyerere and progressive forces and movements the sustained offensive for genuine and and Nkrumah had argued, indeed within Africa” on one hand, and the durable African unity, bearing in mind from different perspectives, freely opposed tendency on the other, which the African reality which Haile Selassie to “mould the future (of Africa)”, as had coalesced as the ‘Monrovia’ and detailed. they pleased. ‘Casablanca’ groups, prior to the 1963 In this regard I would like to quote a Centrally, our collective African founding Conference of the OAU. famous observation made by Karl Marx history over the last 57 years since the In this regard, in a lecture delivered in his treatise, “The 18th Brumaire of independence of Sudan, communicates in Tripoli, Libya, on September 23, Louis Bonaparte”. He wrote: the unequivocal message that we have 2002, one Abdalla Bujra said: “Men make their own history, but failed to build the cohesive and critical “Indeed two ideologically opposed they do not make it as they please; they Pan African movement to which Kwame blocks of countries, the Casablanca Nkrumah referred when he spoke about and Monrovia blocks, emerged - “the popular and progressive forces and one stood for development based Centrally, our movements within Africa”. on social planning and the other for collective African Practically, objectively and in market driven development. The two strategic terms, it is not possible to blocks also had different approaches history over the last achieve the strategic goal of meaningful to external relations – delinking and 57 years since the African unity, and therefore the re-linking as opposed to strengthening Continent-wide transformation of inherited colonial links. Hence at independence of Africa, its Renaissance, in the absence the time the atmosphere throughout Sudan, communicates of, and without the leadership of these the Continent was militantly and the unequivocal forces and movements. passionately discussing these issues. However, we must understand that And the militancy and passion over message that we have objective reality, bearing in mind what these issues expressed themselves fully failed to build the Marx said, will bear heavily on Africa’s during the debates at the founding of ability to develop and sustain these the OAU.” cohesive and critical popular and progressive forces. In this regard, whatever the merits Pan African movement In this regard, on the face of it, we of his broadly correct characterisation had the advantage that much of our and argument, we must of course also to which Kwame political leadership, especially in the take into account the impact on Bujra’s Nkrumah referred immediate aftermath of the victory of views of the simplistic and militant the anti-colonial struggles, had been views about African unity which were when he spoke about steeled in these struggles to understand consistently advanced by the then “the popular and and be inspired by the imperatives of Libyan leader, the late Colonel Gadaffi. what would make for the Renaissance Nevertheless, the hard reality is that, progressive forces of Africa. if indeed African unity is a fundamental and movements Nevertheless, great theoreticians of condition for the Renaissance of within Africa”. the African Revolution, among them Africa, then we must ask the critical Frantz Fanon, had warned us about questions – what might go wrong. • what indigenous forces in Africa will do not make it under circumstances Among others, Fanon warned that serve as the vanguard (organising) chosen by themselves, but under because of “circumstances directly movement to lead the African circumstances directly encountered, encountered, given and transmitted masses to engage in struggle to given and transmitted from the past. from the past”, the very same militant achieve this unity; and The tradition of all the dead generations African fighters against imperialism • around what specific objectives weighs like a nightmare on the brain of and colonialism might very well be would this movement coalesce the living.” recaptured by this past, willingly or which would define the content As Africans we have had the otherwise obliged “to return to the and purposes of this unity? obligation to make our own history. fold of the former colonial rulers”, in In the speech we have cited, Haile Nkrumah’s words. What African unity? Selassie made the dramatic statement: As we celebrate the OAU@50, Our objective reality is that in fact “The task on which we have we must ponder the correctness or and in practice, we have not achieved embarked, the making of Africa, will otherwise of this prediction, which the objective of African unity. not wait. We must act, to shape and emerged from the profound reflections, In a sense, to put this matter broadly, mould the future and leave our imprint researches and practical experience on
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our Continent of a brilliant mind. These coincides and diverges from the State Meles Zenawi spoke on the basis came to all of us, as Africans, through network depending on circumstances. of his familiarity with actual African African Algeria, but originally from “Just as in the case of the State experience, effectively to substantiate the African Diaspora in Martinique in network the NGO and civil society what Frantz Fanon had foreseen the Caribbean, home both to Fanon organisations network is also oiled very early during the period of the and also the celebrated poet and Pan by funds and guidelines from comprehensive defeat of colonialism Africanist, Aimé Césaire. abroad. Leadership positions in such in Africa. Fanon warned us that it was possible organisations are used for personal He spoke about the emergence of that the African Revolution might be enrichment and for the establishment a parasitic and craven leadership and betrayed during the period of what of patronage networks. ruling elites on our Continent all of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere described as “It is this structure that is whom do not care ‘two hoots’ about the Second Scramble for Africa, against fundamentally inimical to the the genuine and sustained welfare of the objectives which Haile Selassie and establishment of an effective and strong the billion African working people in Kwame Nkrumah detailed. Thus would (African) State… (and is therefore our urban and rural areas. we have to contend with the possible supportive of) the imposition of the These are those who have defeat of the objective to achieve Washington Consensus from outside. willingly been absorbed into the African unity, and its use to realise the It is this structure which inhibits the globalised system of personal wealth Renaissance of Africa. establishment of developmental acquisition, in their personal interest It will take another article to discuss States in Africa that are able to adapt and at all costs, as venal, junior, all the obstacles to the achievement of the rational elements of the neo- subsidiary and dependent partners the unity of Africa towards which all liberal paradigm to their specific effectively of the global capitalist Africans aspire. circumstances and design others to system. supplement it.” A rent-seeking leadership The “rent-seeking” of which Meles What is to be done? The late Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Zenawi spoke, describes the parasitic The challenging question that faces Meles Zenawi, revolutionary inheritor abuse of power, of whatever kind, all of us as we celebrate the OAU@50 of the sentiments conveyed in the 19th to extract wealth from society for is – what is to be done to defeat this Century by Emperors Yohannes IV and personal benefit, self-enrichment. entrenched elite, and thus re-open Menelik II, pointed to a fundamental Thus would individuals in positions of the road towards the genuine unity factor in this regard. power personally benefit from wealth of Africa and the realisation of its In 2002, speaking about the that had been created by others, and purposes? generality of the predatory ruling therefore adopt all measures to hold on What shall we do genuinely to groups on our Continent, he said: to power. pursue the future visualised by such “African states have been given He was saying that in many instances outstanding African patriots as Julius names such as neo-patrimonial, our African post-colonial States had Nyerere, Haile Selassie, Kwame prebendial (paying financial tribute to become predatory States. Our ruling Nkrumah, Modibo Keita of Mali, a State religious autocracy), vampire elites in these countries had turned Patrice Lumumba of Congo, Abdul and various other exotic names. into self-enriching thieves exercising Gamal Nasser of Egypt, Ahmed Ben The underlying fact is that African State power, who are grabbing as Bella of Algeria, Mohamed V of states are systems of patronage and are much wealth as they could, which Morocco, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, closely associated with rent-seeking wealth others had created. Seewoosagur Ramgoolam of Mauritius, activities. In reality, Meles Zenawi was Albert Luthuli of South Africa, and “Their external relationship is addressing the consequences for us others? designed to generate funds that oil this of what Mwalimu Nyerere had raised In the end, whatever the challenges network of patronage. Their trading when he spoke about the inherent in this regard, to realise the objective system is designed to collect revenue to nature of capitalism, relating to the that ‘Africa Must Unite’, and thus create oil the system. Much of the productive uses and abuses of Wealth. the conditions for the Renaissance of activity is mired in a system of irrational Clearly, we must consider very Africa, we must work to re-build and licenses and protection that is designed seriously what Meles Zenawi said, activate “the popular and progressive to augment the possibilities of rent seeking to characterise many who forces and movements within Africa” collection. sit at the helm of State in many of which Kwame Nkrumah spoke “Much of the private sector on of our countries, many of them during the historic moment of the the Continent is an active and central ‘democratically elected’. If his establishment of the Organisation of element of this network of patronage assertion is correct, Africa would have African Unity. and rent-seeking activity. no choice but, objectively, to bid Indeed, in our collective interest as “A large part of the NGO community farewell to the goal to achieve the Africans, as well as our salute to the and civil society organisations African unity that is fundamental to the OAU@50, and the AU@10, we must constitutes a parallel network of realisation of the objective of Africa’s act together to realise the objective - patronage and rent-seeking activity that Renaissance. Africa Must Unite!
18 THE THINKER