Page 83 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14
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Leadership




          what have we really learnt? That we   thing and keep their families ‘safe’.   Or if we just coast along trying to
          are intellectually capable? That we   Our brain power and commod-     profit from the corruption in their
          can cheat their system and make    ities, as a continent, are fueling   system that is oozing to the surface?
          some money, start a business and   billion- and trillion-dollar industries   Feeding off their putrid messes…?
          exploit our own brothers and sisters   across the world, but our continent   And even if the west has chosen
          by paying them peanuts in order to   remains like a wilderness, neglected   to cheat its way through business,
          say we’re rich? I hope that’s not it. I   by its own and pillaged by outsiders.   trade, finance, education, govern-
          hope, rather, that what we have real-  We continue, through our govern-  ment, health, nutrition and whatever
          ized that in addition to them always   ment policies, to ensure the survival   else and to lie to its people and the
          finding ways to make Afrikans look   of the system that is designed to   world. Even if the people of the
          like the bad guys, that it’s time for us   oppress us, by granting them easy   west have chosen to imbibe the lies
          to stop enabling them. We continue,   access to our goods and our people   and to fool themselves that they
          through these essay mills, to ensure   who work in their multinationals   come from great nations and that
          the survival of the system that is   and international NGOs, selling   the lies they have believed somehow
          designed to oppress us through the   and trading our secrets and cultural   make them a people greater than
          use of our brain power. Yet again,   heritages for ‘a bowl of soup’. We   Afrikans.  Even if they choose to
          the backs of the Afrikans are used   continue trading the dignity of our   bathe and wallow in the chaos of
          – albeit unknowingly – to ensure   communities, such as the Maasai, to   the culture that they have created…
          the success of the west and the east,   be dancers and cultural representa-  we who have peeked into their
          with no real benefit for the Afrikan.   tions that we use like bait to attract   secret rooms, through vehicles such
          We help graduate doctors, engi-    tourists, so that we can end up with   as these essay mills, other business-
          neers, accountants, psychologists,   the scraps from a table that we feed.   es, non-governmental organiza-
          sociologists etc. who go work for   How does that make sense?         tions, elections in Afrika, seeing our
          the system that keeps us down, who                                    governments manipulated. We who
          go and endanger people – including   Look at it this way, it is evident   have been exposed to the mindset
          ourselves – by brandishing qualifica-  just from this story about the essay   through conferences and workshops
          tions they have no right to, that we   writers that Afrikan intellect is   and travel to their home countries…
          gave them access to.               superior in quality to what we have   vehicles that have exposed us to
                                             often been led to believe.  It is also   their reality… we who have looked
          Yes, we have taken their money and   evident that we possess the ability to   behind the veil and seen the truth
          earned something we may not have   work hard and to navigate com-     should not fool ourselves that such
          had before, but at the same time, we   plex environments and challenges.   a structure can continue to stand,
          are giving strength to their lies of   What is stopping us from using   or that following their chosen path
          greatness and putting communities   what we have learnt about ourselves   gives life. The needless and mind-
          in danger. We should stop that. For   and the west for the benefit of the   less pursuit of colossal amounts of
          our own dignity’s sake. We know,   continent of Afrika? The west has   wealth that end up being hoarded
          through all this, that their system is a   grown on the basis of deceiving,   by a selfish few in their societies,
          fake, a fraud, a deception and not a   stealing, killing and destroying. It’s   with droplets sometimes falling on
          standard that we should emulate. So,   in their history books. Instead of   the heads of those found suitable
          let’s stop emulating it and support-  Afrika continuing with them along   to some form of gain… the secret
          ing it. It’s bad enough losing sons   this devilish path of devastation, we   demonic agendas that the people
          and daughters who go to study in   must quickly choose our own path,   who possess the power and author-
          the west and end up remaining there   having understood – from firsthand   ity to direct their societies push on
          and giving all the strength of their   experience and quiet observation   them and on us. What kind of thing
          youth to that system, but to do it   – that all that they have to offer us   is that to copy?
          from the continent as well and allow   and the world is corruption and
          them to get away with lying so that   death. That is clearly not a model   Let’s not be foolish. Neither let
          we can make money is no different   to use if we’re seeking a prosperous   us lie to ourselves nor try to cheat
          from the slave trade facilitators of   and sustainable future. For it is evi-  ourselves or the generations to
          Afrika, or the home guards that    dent in their societies that things are   come out of a legacy that could be
          Kenya had during colonialism who   falling apart rapidly, therefore, what   so much greater than the west’s and
          oppressed the locals to please the   do you think will happen to Afrika   east’s versions of events.
          white man, so they could earn some-  if we copy everything that they do?



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