Page 18 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 19

Community

and then the rest of the world needs
leaders with their attributes.

On every 25th May we celebrate the
Africa Day with an opportunity to
remember the occasion when Af-
rican countries signed a Charter of
the Organization of African Unity
(OAU), which later evolved into the
African Union (AU). During the
occasion the pioneers of unity ex-
pected so much from their struggle,
by putting their visions and agendas
for Africa as a single integrated
unit. Little did they know that their
successors would have a different
agenda!

In this 21st century, Africa is rich in
real testimonies of poverty, crime
and violence, social injustices, and
economic challenges. There is a
wide and fast growing gap between
common citizens and leaders who
are serving in the offices. Between
the two lies no clear agenda of
where their countries are going, ev-
ery side is prioritizing their interest.

Thomas Sankara
The aspirations for the Africa we
want are not the priority of leaders
we do elect now and then. What is Julius Kambarage Nyerere struggled countries free, not hypocrisy, not
an African Agenda then? for was not the silence of African greed, not even egocentricity. Nyere-

states when one or two countries are re’s leadership made it clear that the
If Emperor Haile Selassie were to subjected to harmful consequences freedom of Tanganyika was mean-
have put his ego before his intellect, of colonialism, rather they were ingless if other African countries
then the year 1963 would never have seeking solutions for African prob- persisted under colonial rule. He
marked such a historic and mo- lems. It is sad that when Congo or invited all the freedom fighters to
mentous day when Africans stood Somalia suffer violence, the rest of Tanganyika to discuss the future and
together on the stage of the world, the African countries remain silent unity of Africa; Eduardo Mondlane,
and asserted the role and direction as if nothing has happened. It is sad Samora Machel, Hifikepunye Po-
of the world affairs, to discharge Af- to see leaders burn the bridges that hamba, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
rica’s duty to the great continent. All made us stand in pride as Africans, and others had blissful moments as
Africa’s Head of States assembled in yet they celebrate those great names they could feel at home. Yes, that is
Ethiopia had one vision, to set Afri- in pretense. the Africa we want!
ca free and unite all her people. To-
day Africa is perverted with the idea If Julius Kambarage Nyerere were Where would Africa be if Solomon
of non-interference in the affairs of to have put forward regionalism and Kalushi Mahlangu, Steve Bantu
other nations, not knowing that is a political boundaries before unity, Biko, Hector Pieterson, Hastings
demarcating line of African broth- then Tanganyika would never be Ndlovu, Josina Muthemba Machel,
erhood and unity. What Emperor marked as the Mecca of revolution- Yaa Asantewaa, Funmilayo Ransome
Haile Selassie, Gamal Abdel Nasser, aries. It is unity that made African Kuti, Mariama Ba, Victoria Mxenge
Kwame Nkrumah, and Mwalimu

18 | we tell the true afrikan story