CAN AFRICA REALLY HANDLE HER OWN PROBLEMS?

Over the decades Africa has been one of the continents, if the only one, that has had more than her fair share of misfortunes. Issues ranging from corruption, disease, illiteracy and poor governance have plagued this continent for a much longer time than most people can care to remember. However, the one constant factor throughout all this period, had been the lack of good leadership. By good leadership, I mean leaders who have chosen to rise above petty national, ethnic, political or even religious differences to champion the cause of the citizens.

In the recent past, there has arisen a new phrase that has been peddled around in the guise of independence and maturity of the leadership. This phrase says, “African problems require African solutions”. Some of the citizens of Africa, have been wise enough to see behind the shallowness of this statement. Nothing has been done to show the world that indeed we even have the solutions to our problems. The biggest institution that has played a major part in its inability to provide leadership, has been the African Union. Its fair to say that it is but just a club of presidents who meet annually to take tea and chat away in Addis Ababa while pretending to be discussing serious issues facing Africans.

From Sierra Leone and Liberia in 1990s, to Rwanda and Burundi in 1994, to Kenya in 2007-2008, to Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in 2011, African Union (read, African leaders) have failed to provide guidance, leadership and direction. They cite various excuses for non-involvement including that they cannot interfere in other nations’ affairs. When Libyans were crying out that Col Muammar Gaddafi was slaughtering them, did their fellow Africans come to their aid? No. The international community did. If anything, what the Africans have shown, is that they are only good at condemning and criticizing the international community for at least trying to do something, while they (Africans) only sit back and watch from a distance.

Africans have neither the capacity nor the will to help out one another and until we prove otherwise, it would be best for the international community to continue “interfering” in the affairs of African nations. In the meantime, we could start by calling for the disbandment of the African Union. It is a lame and inept institution that serves no useful purpose at all in the continent. It is a time wasting club that benefits no one at all.

The African people have a right to demand more from the leaders of the continent. Leadership is required if the continent is to emerge from the shackles of poverty, disease, corruption, illiteracy and poor governance that has plagued it for so long. Political reforms by itself, is not enough. There is need for economic and social reforms for Africans to say that we indeed are mature enough to offer solutions to the problems bedeviling our continent.

The only country whose leadership has been bold enough to condemn the acts of other tyrants dressed in the cloaks of leadership so far, has been Botswana. Perhaps it is time more African leaders borrow a leaf from Botswana and start doing the same.