Maravi

(HERALD) Xenophobia contrary to African unity

Xenophobia contrary to African unity

TOMORROW we join continental and Diaspora Africans in celebrating the 45th anniversary of the founding of the African Union (formerly the Organisation of African Unity) launched on May 25 1963, amid so many unresolved questions for Africa. This is a day for introspection, when we Africans should take stock of what we have done over the past year in pursuit of the noble goals that motivated our founding fathers to moot the idea of a united Africa that will stake its claim as an equal in the community of nations.

Have we lived up to the ideal Africa envisioned by Ghana’s founding president Dr Kwame Nkrumah whose dream was to see an independent African ready to fight his own battles. Dr Nkrumah wanted us all to demonstrate to the world and other nations, that young as we are, we are prepared to lay our own foundations for self-rule and development contrary to the white supremacist doctrine.

And as Zimbabweans we are glad that we have managed to live up to his noble vision and resisted Western machinations to turn against our visionary President, who is cut from the same cloth that gave Africa Dr Nkrumah. Suffice to say we are doing so amid great opposition from those who would rather have us remain minions in our own land.

But as we mark Africa Day tomorrow, we thank our African brothers and sisters who have stood by us when it would have been so easy for them to join the Western bandwagon.

Their invaluable support gives us renewed hope that Africa is slowly rising to claim its stake in the world, and sending a clear message to its perennial pillagers that it is no longer business as usual. We have seen Africa speak loudly in support of Zimbabwe at various summits.

We have seen Sadc refuse to be used against Zimbabwe, and instead turn the tables on those who were scheming against us by calling on them to remove their illegal sanctions and honour their obligations as agreed at the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference of 1979.

We have seen Africa stand by Zimbabwe at the United Nations, where the latest action was to veto plans by Britain and the United States to have Zimbabwe on the agenda of the UN Security Council.

On numerous occasions, we have seen Africa frustrate racist moves by the usual Western rabble-rousers who wanted Zimbabwe put on the agenda of the UN as a security threat. And again in Geneva, at the Human Rights Council, Africa’s support has been phenomenal.

That is how it should be, all for one and one for all as the founding fathers envisioned it.

But this support did not come easy, as detractors have managed to worm their way into some of our supposedly African organs to covertly influence agendas and policy as evidenced by the decision to call a Sadc summit on Zimbabwe.

It is also unforgivable that 45 years down the line Africa still relies on the duplicitous Western media for information dissemination, Western prescriptions for development paradigms and alms for development projects.

It is through such dependence that some rightwing forces have managed to worm themselves into some key African organs and institutions that they try to manipulate through purse strings.

Institutions such as the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, the Pan African Parliament and the Economic Commission need to be cleansed of Western influence so that they become wholly African and help us realise the dream of a United States of Africa.

The xenophobia in SA is not in keeping with the ideals of the AU, no African is a stranger in Africa.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the steps that have been taken towards the fulfilment of the dream of a United States of Africa built on synergies created by the AU Peace and Security Council, the proposed African Standby Force and the Central Bank of Africa that should guarantee the continent’s territorial and financial independence.

Labels: DIASPORA, XENOPHOBIA

posted by MrK @ 8:51 PM