Page 43 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 8

FEATURES

In order to thwart the “Hopelessness” misconception portrayed by
The Economist, the current socio-economic and social-political cial and economic transformation
deficits on the continent must therefore be faced squarely and of the continent. It is important to
their origins recognised if indeed we have to move towards a new note that much of Africa’s progress
way of understanding the impacts of our role in continental as has been fueled by neo-liberal agen-
well as global issues. das and policies. Neo-liberalism is
an economic and political ideology
intellectual and psychosocial con- oriented intellectuals who have been in which market capitalism is hailed
ditions, which include the educa- alienated from their cultures and as the most effective way to achieve
tional system, intellectual attitudes, heritages by Western culture, edu- modernization, development, and
and modes of thinking to begin to cation and material inducements. prosperity for all. Its three major
appreciate Africa’s traditions. This This is what accounts for the widen- tenets are privatization, free mar-
“struggle” on the part of the scholar ing gap between the African elites or kets, and deregulation. Through
will have to involve a process of un- intellectuals and the masses of the this system, African communities
learning and relearning because of people for what is the real missing have suffered untold pain through
the biased Eurocentric approaches link in Africa’s transformation-the exploitation by big corporations and
that have dominated thinking whilst distance between the African masses the mafia, which act in consort to
at the same time corroding Africa’s and the African intellectuals. Way help themselves to Africa’s cheap
cultural memory. In his 2009 book Forward and more-or-less free natural and
Something Torn and New: An Af- In spite of the remaining challeng- human resources. In most cases, the
rican Renaissance, Kenyan scholar es, there are many signs of progress exploitation is done with the help of
Ngugi wa Thiong’o rightly argued right across Africa. Since the begin- the African leadership, under the
that ‘the question of memory in Af- ning of 2015, Africa has experienced aegis of a lop-sided ‘globalization.’
rica may not only explain what ails more than 28 leadership changes, Needless to say, the transformation
contemporary Africa but it may also highlighting the continent-wide push process in Africa must encompass
contain the seeds of communal re- for greater accountability and de- both the African intellectual and the
newal and self-confidence’. Memory mocracy. Countries like Mauritius, African masses through learning and
‘resurrects’, ‘re-cycles’, and makes Botswana, Cape Verde, Namibia, unlearning processes.
the past ‘reappear’ and live again in and Ghana rank relatively high as
the present. What this means is that politically stable, democratic coun-
entire nations, like individuals, con- tries. These countries, as well as oth-
stitute and reconstitute themselves er rising democracies across Africa,
through the constant editing and serve as encouragement to interna-
re-editing of memory. Indeed, the tional partners that stability can be
importance of memory as a source achieved throughout the continent.
of knowledge cannot be underesti- When it comes to public health,
mated, especially when it comes to the continent has seen significant
its ability not only to shape opinions improvements over the past several
but to influence the course of histo- decades. There have been substan-
ry. tial declines in maternal and child
deaths, and the incidence of chronic
Thiong’o in a way raises a funda- malnutrition among children under
mental question concerning the role five has decreased by almost 10 per-
in society of ‘organic’ academics or centage points since 1995. Also, var-
civil society organisations engaged ious sources indicate that the share RONALD ELLY WANDA is a transdisciplinary
in some form of intellectual and or of people living in extreme poverty scholar interested in restorative cultural
society intervention activities. Our in Africa has declined over the past practices as well as the role indigenous
role as such, must go beyond policy few decades, and for most African knowledge systems play in the administration
engagements to promote the inter- countries, the outlook for poverty of justice in Africa. Wanda is very interested
ests of the marginalized and pover- reduction appears positive. in how knowledge is generated and applied in
relation to community development. His current
ty-stricken citizens across Africa. It The Way Forward for Africa will as research interests cover: Restorative democracy
must involve a process of unlearning such entail going beyond the current in Eastern Africa; Afrikology; Community Sites
and learning not only of the disem- neo-liberal global agenda by moving of Knowledge and Indigenous knowledge
powered masses but also of the dis- towards an African agenda for so- systems; Epistemology, Ethics and Culture.
gahokenya@gmail.com

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