Page 28 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 11

MY AFRIKA

Ronnie Lessem and Anselm Adodo:
AFRIKOLOGY: DECONSTRUCTING AND
RECONSTRUCTING KNOWLEDGE AND VALUE IN AFRICA

Publisher: Beacon Academic, Manchester, UK
Reviewed by Dr Douglas Mboweni

r. Anselm Adodo and Prof. lieve, the best of the African cultural landscape. Here is a village endowed
Ronnie Lessem address, in heritage and sustainable practices with rich land, amazing natural
this powerful work, a cen- need to be revealed, showcased, and resources, a clean atmosphere, and
Ftral question of our world harnessed towards the common wonderful people and yet despite all
today. What is the kind of frame- good of humankind. Adodo and these, poverty is written all over the
work that will work to establish a Lessem proffer an answer with their village. Why?
sustainable balance in our frightfully worlds-wide dimensional framework The dependence on external dona-
fragmented world? There is no with a focus on Afrikology which tions accompanied by a strong infil-
doubt one of the significant lessons emphasizes integral virtues around tration of foreign value systems has
that history has taught us is that life, an authentic human being who has led to the deterioration of the vil-
at its fundamental definition, has vital spiritual, relational, communal, lage's own identity and culture. With
become intolerable to a self-destruc- and environmental elements. the Afrikology approach, I see the
tive individualistic perspective of opportunity to re-imagine Joseph
life. The created order was brought I have known Fr. Anselm Adodo village's holistic life grounded in
into existence on the concept of and Prof. Ronnie Lessem for over ubuntu theoretically, pedagogically,
interdependence, that no-one is an three years and have been exposed and practically. With the deep need
island, and any attempt to redefine it to their tremendously encouraging for similar developments across the
in any other way is not sustainable. worlds-wide dimensional thinking African continent, there is undoubt-
For example, Adam Smith's idea and work. Their perspective on edly a clear case for the setting up
of economic growth was based on the transformation of individuals, of communiversity networks so as
what he called rational self-interest entities and societies has had a to proactively drive the Afrikological
(I want to call it individualism) in a significant impact on my own per- re-imagine agenda. In Zimbabwe,
free-market economy. His view was spective and work at the individual, such work is progressing well, and I
that the 'invisible hand' of the free village and corporate levels without am determined to contribute to it.
market would transform the indi- diluting my deep spiritual ground-
vidual's pursuit of gain in a way that ing. I am a citizen of Joseph village Currently, I serve as the Chief Ex-
leads to the maximization of the under Chief Negari in the Mwenezi ecutive Officer of Econet Wireless
interests of society. However, what District of Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe Limited, Zimbabwe's
we have seen in today's world is that Zimbabwe. At the village level, I largest telecommunications com-
society has continued to painfully am using the worlds-wide dimen- pany listed on the Zimbabwe Stock
witness the glaring divide between sional perspective to uplift Joseph Exchange. Even at this corporate
the rich few and the poor masses village to be a local and global player level, I am finding the worlds-wide
accompanied by a deterioration of without losing its local grounding. dimensional view to be a very em-
social and moral considerations. The For me, Joseph village, with a sad powering framework for conducting
world over, therefore, there is an history of perpetual dependence on business in a multicultural world.
unstoppable yearning for a sustain- donations from the Government The business serves a diverse base
able system that promotes the social and non-governmental organiza- of customers and not only does this
and moral purpose along with clean tions (NGOs), represents the stark framework accommodate and re-
value creation. This is where, I be- irony often found on the African spect the business's moral compass,

28 | Heal . Restore . Rebirth . Afrika