Page 46 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 8

COMMUNITY

within the Serengeti ecosystem, set up for non-Afrikans. Should that originally slated for July 1st, 2020,
which is a 40,000-square mile be a problem? Well, it depends on but it was postponed to 2021 due
area making up the Maasai Mara your heart towards Afrika and the to the pandemic. One of the many
National Reserve in Kenya, which narrative of a free Afrikan move- benefits of this agreement is the
is in the north of the ecosystem and ment of people, goods and services. free movement of people, goods
Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation But for me, it is a Yes. It is a long and services across Afrika, which
Area and Maswa Game Reserve time problem which Covid-19 lock- put in another word means, Afrikan
in Tanzania, the southern part of down has inflated since no non-Af- business and tourism for Afrikans.
the ecosystem. The central, eastern rikans are coming into Afrika at the Personally, I feel that it’s a very
and western areas include Grume- time of writing. And that means that welcome development, especially
ti Reserve, Loliondo, the official the moment the lockdown is eased with the loads of benefits it has
Serengeti National Park including and the various Afrikan airspaces for Afrika and Afrikans. But the
part of southern Kusini and other are opened, the actual people that issue I perceive it will have that will
protected areas. The migration is Afrikan tourism was created for, undermine this process, and which
a constant movement of masses of that is, the white visitors will begin various experiences have shown
animals in search of resources once to come in and then tourism will go me, is the mindset that we Afrikans
they are depleted in one area. The back to the way it was set up to be. have towards ourselves. Meaning
highlight of this migration has been But should this be what we are still that it’s a good thing to have the
the crossing of the Mara River, facing in Afrika between Afrikans right as an Afrikan to travel to any
where the wildebeest and other after sixty years of independence? It Afrikan country, according to the
animals have to run the gauntlet should not be so. provision of the African Continen-
of crocodile-infested waters. The tal Free Trade Area agreement,
migration pits one group of hungry The African Continental Free but who monitors the maligning of
beasts against another, each one Trade Area (AfCFTA) Afrikans when they get to the vari-
needing resources to survive, this On May 30th 2019, Afrika made ous borders of their destinations, as
quest forcing them together in the history as the Agreement establish- shown in the airport drama I earlier
ultimate life or death challenge. ing the AfCFTA officially entered shared? Are there any provisions in
into force. the agreement documents that give
Now, from the Daily Nation article, With 54 out of the 55 member clarity about how Afrikan tourists
a few things stood out for me. One states of the Afrikan Union signing should be treated at any Afrikan
of them was this statement "Normal- the agreement, Afrika brought into border? For if these provisions are
ly, the migration marks the begin- being the largest trading block since not in place, will it not be a waste of
ning of the international tourists' the formation of the WTO. It will time expecting goods and services
annual peak season, but domestic be the largest free trade area in the to pass through free trade areas,
tourists will enjoy the spectacle until world, uniting 1.3 billion people while the Afrikans themselves, who
August 1, 2020, when international in a $3.4 trillion economic bloc, are the owners of the goods and
flights are expected to resume." And and it came about after protracted services are mistreated at the very
another one said, "We expect busi- negotiations between the leaders same borders?
ness to start picking up by mid next of 54 African nations. The entry
month when the airspace is opened, into force of the AfCFTA is also For me, I think an Afrikan citizen-
but already we have received a marked by the speed at which ship can help resolve this. For if we
slightly over 200 to 300 Kenyans Afrikan countries worked together all carry one passport bearing the
after the cessation of movement was within a year to establish a regional Afrikan Union seal, should it not
lifted by President Uhuru Kenyat- trading block to promote intra-Af- help? And should not the resto-
ta." rikan trade following the adoption ration of our oneness and broth-
of the AfCFTA on 21 March 2018 erhood become its primary goal,
I must tell you it was a great article in Kigali, Rwanda. You can do a uniting us for a greater purpose,
by Daily Nation newspaper, but more comprehensive read about that is, for strength and growth and
I have a few issues, not with the AFCFTA on the African Union restoration of so much that has
article (which was merely indicative website. been lost over time?
of the main issue), but with the fact
that tourism in Afrika was not really The proposed date for the com-
created to attract Afrikans but it was mencement of this agreement was

46 | Heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika