These Politicians, NGOs Are The Bane Of Africa
Story Filed: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 5:18 PM EST
Nairobi (The Nation, May 23, 2000) – Africa is a continent that once stood proudly in the world. It gave the world the three elements of civilisation – art, religion and law. And it once had an immense sense of self-worth.
After all, it is the original home of man.
But look at it now. It labours under the weight of poverty, indebtedness, disease, ignorance, self-deprecation, civil strife and, worst of all, poor governance. Her sons and daughters have been thoroughly brainwashed and turned into wholesale copycats and retail consumers of the world’s superfluities.
A great deal has been said about Africa as a continent of great promise.
Towards the close of the last millennium, Africans listened to speeches of optimism from heavyweights in the world’s geo-political scene implying that Africa’s leadership crisis would soon be a thing of the past. There was even talk of an African renaissance.
But now African economies keep deteriorating, democracy is abused and dependency keeps rising. The optimism that greeted the dawn of a new millennium, like the one that greeted the dawn of independence in African countries, is fast fading away.
All for the same old reason: placing her trust, hopes and destiny in the hands of leaders who would care less.
African leaders, the people supposed to be harnessing the collective will of the continent towards a better life, are still engaged in their old game – talk. From Cairo to the Cape and from Juba to Abuja, all they do is hold “summits”, further draining their countries’ financial resources, just to talk. When will the action start?
In countries where democracy was seen as a precursor to development, disillusionment has returned.
Just take a peep at Zambia, Angola and Cote d’Voire among others.
In Kenya, after a Constitutional Review Act was signed into law to set the country on what seemed to be a firm course to reform and accompanying prosperity, the citizens have been treated to a baffling rubbishing of the Act and the handing over of review powers to a clique of leaders responsible for the country’s constitutional and economic woes.
Uganda, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria are the other African countries faced with constitutional crises. Certain leaders in some of these countries behave as if religion is the sole consideration in matters of statehood, making religious bigotry one of Africa’s latest headaches.
The continent’s dependency on the West for material, intellectual and social solutions – a reliance perpetrated and perpetuated by her leaders – does not make matters any better. In fact, most of Africa’s leaders behave as if it is the continent’s divinely-ordained right and responsibility to beg from the West for donations, grants and aid even when she can do without them.
In March, there was a devastating flood in Mozambique.
Africa, except South Africa, slept for two whole weeks, until it was jolted into action by the arrival of 100 British marines. Then the continent switched on its begging machinery full-throttle and made it appear like a Western catastrophe on African soil! Meanwhile, neighbouring Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Uganda and Angola were killing each other over the DR Congo.
Zimbabwe alone had 24 of its elite war jets fighting in the DR Congo at the time.
Are the Mugabes and Kabilas the people Africa expects to save her? Even crude jokes have limits. Misplaced hopes are indeed tragic!
How about NGOs working in Africa?
They too. In a speech to the World Press Freedom Committee in December last year, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn said people in the developing world, including Africa, do not trust their governments and NGOs working among them.
In reference to a Bank study, Voices of the Poor, of 60,000 people in 60 countries, Mr. Wolfensohn said: “The first thing that differentiates poor people from rich people is not lack of money, but lack of voice, and the inability to be represented. The second thing is that they do not trust governments, or even all NGOs.”
Bankrolled by foreign donors – who seem to have bottomless pits of money – most NGOs work against rather than for Africa.
They ingrain a dependency syndrome, giving tacit support to the status quo.
There are more than 500 NGOs in Kenya alone for example – all of which are engaged in so-called developmental activities and advocacy. Theirs is a multi- million dollar industry. If they were seriously doing what they are supposed to do, Kenya would already be flowing with milk and honey.
Seminars on poverty eradication or democracy in ritzy city hotels or swanky retreats in Naivasha or Amboseli will never, of course, put food on the tables of those in whose name such seminars are organised.
If Africa has to develop, she must cease this donor-dependency derangement and reliance on her leadership for guidance and inspiration.
Individuals must start exploring their own solutions to their unique problems.
Here the trick lies in the catalystic nature of small civil society organisations. In Nairobi, residential estates such as Karen, Westlands, Jamhuri and others have organised themselves into formidable units without government or NGO linkages. These organisations are now vehicles of development and positive change.
The cooperative movement, the enterprises networks and women’s merry-go- rounds are working examples of do-it-without-government initiatives that, with a little management resources, can help propel Africa to, at least, economic prosperity.
Forget the politicians.
They will only do what they have always done – mislead Africa further on.
It is not racist parlance that Africa was once the greatest. It is the truth. It is a greatness Africa can attain once again – with or without her embarrassing leaders.
Copyright © 2000 The Nation.
Distributed via Africa News Online.
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