Afrika can and Should

The 25th of May is Africa Day. It is the day on which the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) is commemorated, even with the advent of the African Unity (AU), it remains so.
I have not seen much of the Africa Day where I live. Thanks to television and other media I have learned of celebrations, lectures, movies and other events taking place in and around the big cities of our country. All in all, Africa Day was very quiet and where I live it was pretty much not an event at all. This is not surprising as Africa itself does not really matter in the greater scheme of things and hasn’t for a very long time. Africa does not even seem to matter to itself, its people. From the news reports and declarations it seems that there is a common vision about and for Africa among the African leadership. That is a comforting thought - until one looks toward Zimbabwe. Is there a common vision among African leaders about Zimbabwe? Should there be a common vision about this or any other country in Africa? I don’t know the answer, what I do know is that there should be a common vision about the people. Health for the people, food for the people, shelter for the people – schools for the children!
You probably have heard this before; written or broadcast on some platform that pretty much had nothing to do with Africa other than location. The summary of the reports and opinion I have experienced on Zimbabwe and similarly positioned African countries is that Africans make decisions out of IGNORANCE or FEAR. If you want to have your way with Africans, either dupe them or scare the living whatever out of them. Chop limbs in Sierra Leon, ban and imprison in Zimbabwe, apply your version of the law in Nigeria, conference on leadership and succession in South Africa. It does seem to be the case, doesn’t it? It seems that the defence and strengthening of one position or point of view can only follow from the brutal annihilation of all other points of view or thoughts. Simply put, beating up those who disagree with you to teach them never to disagree with you again.
There is even more that can be said about the current trend in South Africa to protest, violently, against unpopular decisions. Enough has been said about this too. What I have not come across is a concerted effort by Africans to reverse the negative trends. The atrocities of our continent have become normal, life carries on despite all manner of disturbing events. What African values can one rely on to deal with the current scourge? Whether the human rights issues in Zimbabwe, strife in the Sudan or protests in South Africa? I was raised to believe that being selfish is one character that had no place among Africans. I was taught that my right/privilege to be human and receive all the benefits of being human is not only related but is dependant on others enjoying the selfsame right/privilege. For me to have a meal should never mean that another should go hungry. For my political thoughts or traditions to be adhered to should not mean the total destruction of those who hold a different view. In fact, some thoughts and traditions may be more attractive than others albeit from the same organization. The protests in South Africa demonstrate the opposite. By the way, since when did the right to protest include the “right to bear arms” and other objects of intimidation and threat? The labour movement of the 80’s understood the meaning of peaceful protest; this is the reason, I would argue, that it was no problem for such right to be in our constitution without qualification, other than the limitation all rights are subject to. When did the right to strike become the right to impose an obligation to strike on others who rightly or wrongly do not want to strike or protest? The duty not to be selfish not only applies to the “workers” but to the “bosses” too. It is most striking that the professional class, clad in the workers’ red has been the one most guilty of the do not be selfish code. The notion of the workers’ struggle versus capital is one that is well developed and goes back to the beginning of the industrialisation era. I find it very hard to refer to teachers specifically as “workers” in the Marxian sense. This is separate from whether or not teachers are paid properly, adequately, competitively, etc. It is also separate from the question of whether or not the teachers have a right to have their demands heard or even the right to protest. It is the right to strike that I find troubling. The health sector of course raise a whole new debate about the right to life or death depending on where you stand or lie.
The professionals have to find a way and the authorities have to create the conditions for disputes to be resolved without the need to condemn the African child to an even more dire future. I could not help but equate the teachers’ strike to a hostage situation. Something akin to “if you want your child back [in class] give me 10% increase”! Personally I would have been more comfortable with the normal workers’ demand of if you want me back at work pay me whatever percentage. There are however other African children who despite of the strike continue to get an education; these are the African children who will more likely than not be the employers of the other African children who are not only being denied an education but in some instances actively prevented from going to school. And so the middle class will reproduce itself at the expense of the working class with a little help from the professional class. This unless we are a little less selfish – all of us. With some luck and honest, frank, selfless debate and conversation, the next Africa day, will bring pride and hope for the African and the African children.