By Tendai Ruben Mbofana SENTIMENTS expressed by Malawi president and outgoing Southern African Development Committee (Sadc) chair, Lazarus Chakwera — that, Africa risked having its natural resources plundered by global powers from both the East and West — are the most welcome, refreshing and profound words I have heard from this organisation, or any other leader on the continent, in a very long time.
What I have always found unsettling and rather disturbing about Africans, particularly our leaders (both in government and the various opposition formations) is the apparent “slave mentality” — which, somehow, appear to make them desire to be subservient to one global power or the other, as if we were inherently created with a strong irresistible penchant to be ruled over or controlled by others.
It honestly does not matter whether we are referring to ruling parties, or the opposition — there is always one common thread sticking out like a sore thumb…they seem totally incapable of functioning or operating on their own, without some world power either calling the shots, or hauntingly lingering in the background.
This could be in the form of a country like China being given carte blanche by the ruling establishment, to loot and pillage natural resources with impunity, as a new form of colonialism — while, callously and arrogantly dispossessing local populations of their ancestral lands, yet they never benefit anything worthwhile from the exploration and exploitation of their God-given wealth.
Or, an opposition that takes instructions from Western capitals, such as Washington DC and London, and a terribly high propensity to always running to global powers, crying over affairs in our own countries — as if, the people of Africa are not capable of solving our own issues, without the interference of outsiders, who are only after our natural resources.
Possibly, such slave mentality emanates from our history as a continent.
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We can recall that, during the colonial era, settler regimes were predominantly backed by Western countries — which came to the continent for the sole purpose of plundering our abundant riches.
During this same period — especially, after the Second World War — we witnessed the growth of such new world powers as Russia and China, leading to the so-called “Cold War” with the West — culminating in a vicious and ferocious fight for global hegemony, particularly over the already colonised richly-endowed continent of Africa.
As a result, countries such as China and Russia came in to ostensibly “support” liberation movements in Africa — by providing them military training and hardware — of course, not motivated by a genuine desire to see a free and independent people, but as a means of laying their hands on the natural resources, being held by colonial Western powers.
In other words, the whole backing we received from these Eastern countries was never a form of “all-weather friendship” but merely the climax of the “Cold War” — with Africa being the new Vietnam and Korea, where proxy wars for the control of our resources were bitterly waged, with the local citizens as mere pawns.
After “independence” was finally attained — it was pay-back time, as China and Russia demanded their pound of flesh — which is why, today, we have national governments, in countries like Zimbabwe, which appear practically powerless over the Chinese, who are virtually running the country, and riding roughshod over the indigenous people, with scant regard of the country’s laws and human rights.
On the other hand, Western powers did not simply lick their wounds, and go away silently — but, have been working overdrive to re-establish their lost dominance over our natural resources, mainly through opposition political parties.
Tragically, such is the story of Africa!
We seldom find truly independent countries and entities — that genuinely run their own affairs, without undue influence and control of one world power or another.
That is exactly the unenviable predicament the Malawian president Lazarus Chakwera understandably found unacceptable, and bravely spoke against on the occasion of opening the 42nd Sadc Heads of State Summit, recently held in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The continent of Africa can never dream of developing and its people prospering — as long as we perpetually feel the need to pander to the interests of foreign powers … both from the East and West.
None of these domineering countries care about us at all — but, are only after our natural resources.
How, then, are we to advance and develop our nations when our wealth — which should be benefiting and uplifting our livelihoods as Africans (shared equitably among its people) are allowed to be pillaged by world powers?
Surely, ever since the Chinese, for instance, commenced plundering our diamonds in Zimbabwe — how have the ordinary villagers of Marange and Chiadzwa benefited?
Are their lives better than they were 20 years ago — or, are they actually worse off, since being dumped in areas without most basic amenities — schools and hospitals — yet, billions of dollars worth of minerals have been extracted and sold by Chinese companies?
We find a similar troubling picture in other parts of not only Zimbabwe, but Africa.
Africans need to finally break themselves free from this reliance and dependence on global powers that treat us as if we can neither run our own national affairs, nor fight for our own freedom from oppressive ruthless national leaders, without these powers’ involvement.
Let us set ourselves free from the crippling shackles of the slave mentality.