Building a Cohesive Africa or Africa Self-Deluding?

I had my god children, 3 of them, ages 8, 10 and 13 at the weekend out for a meal we went- successfully burning the added calories in an instant, after a bet deciding if to walk up the hill or take a bus back (somehow the “team walk up the hill” had their way despite it being a draw- the beginning of politics there) we arrived back to the flat, turn on the telly and blaring out was the song , "I want you back “ by the Jackson 5.

To my delight, the youngest announces, ” I lovveee this song” and childishly I screamed, ' I bet you do, me too’ and with that, I was in my karoke form, imaginary microphone stretched out in one hand. I did justice to this 80s lyric and I asked, 'do you know who sang this song'? to which an emphatic, heart wrenching,  “ noooooooooooooooo" chorus followed. How quickly joy evaporates from one’s face. 

'NO, you mean you don’t know about the Jackson 5’? I persisted see if my new countenance would jolt some guilt in them,  nope was still the blunt answer I got.  I was traumatised!

‘ Okay if not the Jackson 5, how about Michael Jackson- "the King of Pop' and with that I attempted the moon walk---erh in an attempt to show them the legendary move that it was, still unrivaled in today’s dance world. Sadly they didn’t know nor cared about Michael and the Jackson Five- I guess Ariana Grande among others is doing it for them as it did for us back then.  So I am asking on a serious note, 'whose role is it to pass history that shapes us to next generations'? 

I mention all these to get to the national ache and pain of Nigeria my dear country and other African countries to the news early September 2019 to what is perceived as betrayal by South Africa against Africans. A nation which the Nigerian national archives have since produced evidence- reiterating the immense humanitarian and brotherly efforts during the apartheid, calling and fighting for South Africa’s freedom.

Like my god children who didn’t know who Michael Jackson was , so also is it unfathomable that a whole institutional memory perhaps is lost on some South Africans about Apartheid and that it is standing today is because the whole of Africa stood in solidarity with it, in fact a collective effort of the world. Their other African brothers and sisters should never be seen or treated as the other enemy.  What enshrines African solidarity is a united front.

Also in that week was the World Economic Forum, WEF slated for the 2^nd-4^th of September and coincidentally with a major discourse and headline dominance of the newly attained  Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement by the African Union, how this much awaited blue print will be solidifying a continent wide trade wealth partnership, but the world waking up instead to the news that Nigerians and Africans alike–were massacred in xenophobic mayhem defeats that purpose and is a threat to that aspiration. This barbaric act should be out rightly condemned. Non South Africans, are still human beings, protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that governs us all and of course by the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

Let’s talk also about the survival code - a mode naturally ingrained in both animal and human beings alike. It is fierce, a down right battle- whether overt or covert, no social group, nor color can say that it is of less importance to its continuous survival. In fact the only time there is civility or some form of decorum, is artificially creation, where it is collectively formulated under some negotiations and the surrendering of self will for the rule of law in governing us all to prevail and that’s what ended the practice of slavery and colonization in theory if you ask me. But the fight for survival continues in other forms.

Let’s take a closer look at the family structure. Is the world peace that we are demanding  first reigning here?  If it does in yours, congratulations! But ask yourself, why then is the need for family courts? Isn’t it because dispute as we know it is a natural occurrence in the dwellings of human and animals alike? Haven’t we seen or heard of family feuds- age long discord, hatred, enmity passed down generations? Again it is usually about survival and about resource control disguised as other things.

Let’s look at tribalism, ethnicity, caste, racism, class systems, gender bias, all age long practices of discrimination that still exists, cause for the continued clamor for justice, fairness and equity, globally proving that injustices, inequality stems from the need to survive at the detriment of others. It is still the survival of the fittest.

With a careful and thorough review of existing and available materials  online,  such as the International Monetary Fund to global medias all monitoring and analyzing the steady rise and developments of Xenophobia in South Africa since 1994,  the underlying factor has been deduced and of which I am of same belief as stemming from the perceive threat to the local resources and opportunities, a fight for survival first and foremost due to a failed governing system, lacking inclusive economic models coupled with the promotion of negative culturalism as a political ideology.

Negative culturalism which is an agreed set of beliefs and norms but negative is held dearly, xenophobia in this context has been proven to be an established culture, seen as a necessity to protect its nationalism. It does not matter what other specific reasons such as war on drugs as widely given, it is negative and can not be morally justified. The  acceptance of Xenophobia in South Africa is why the incidents of September 02, was wide spread and acceptable, with reports of the law enforcement agents in comatose from its main duty to protect lives and property and other careless utterances and body language of  some South Africa’s public officers who should know better has not helped either. In this case  negative culturalism superseded the rule of law. This act unspoken, legitimizes the mayhem of Xenophobia every time it raises its ugly head in the country, and with each one getting bolder and fiercer as it can get.

This can be likened to turning “a blind eye” culture too in the United States in the widespread killing of black men and boys, increasingly by white men in the force, while the system justifies and uphold these killings as legal. So yes negative culturalism is not peculiar to just South Africa, culturalism used in this context is more dangerous when open bias is a tolerated norm. That is where the real problem lies and in this case, South Africa’s governing system has upheld transparency, accountability, professionalism nor diplomacy where zero tolerance  is zero tolerance.

This brings me to some questions and realities Africans must ponder on for the future as it emerges. Have we forgotten all so soon the painstaking trouble nor learnt from our collective past experiences of colonialism, military rule, fight for independence and democracy, something that has seen the metamorphosis of the Organization of African Unity OAU to African Union AU?  How about our ethic cleansing, internal displacement and division, outbreak of diseases,corruption and mismanagement of our collective resources, ? We still collectively suffer from these are other giants in the room fanning the emblems of poverty and injustices of our people, are we not learning what the real issues are.  Are we moving toward being a union, or are we not?

It is not enough that the African Union has helped achieved the long standing Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, but it’s the sustainable superlative mechanisms of working the agreement that will make it count. If xenophobia or other negative cuturalism practices will not be hugely frowned upon by the African states, then it is as good as failed from the start. There is the need for the collective, superseding individualism, if it does happen, will facilitate the sort of innovation, industrialization, technology to mention a few that can help bring the continents billions of unemployed, both the youth and all who have given up on their dreams back up.

A continent that still undermines and leave behind 50% of its gender population cannot achieve the aims of ACFTA on just the testosterone of the male gender, so also can it not, if we are still ethnicised. We will need to bring to the table our unappreciated differences and dynamism in which lies all of our human capacity and resources to take us forward.  We know we need one another to make it work and when that equity grows we should all share in it and I mean to aspire continuously to building the very best of  rule of law /legal system that we all submit to, equitable economy, good governance, security, health, education, job creation, housing  and opportunities for credit for investment and realization of aspirations   of all Africans is paramount,  these days true sovereignty is that intertwined in a union.

Retaliation is not the answer to the recent mayhem, but of course a strong diplomatic message and action that gets South Africa and the aggrieved African nations to a round table is a starting point.  Africa’s problem will largely be solved by Africans and the time is now, the lasting solution is for the continent as a whole and I ask “can Africa manage a cohesive front”?  Each African will need to search within deeply and answer to what they are prepared to give , stand for or negotiate in other to see a thriving continent that we all can benefit from.  There is no short cut, we must expect better of ourselves.

Abimbola Junaid is a  policy expert , strategist, researcher, trainer and communicator. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Policy and Administration from the University of Nottingham UK. A development practitioner with over 15 years’ experience in African Governance, Development, Parliamentary and Citizens Engagement.

Her twitter handle is @a4arise.

Email- thinkingbee@gmail.com.