Africa’s Political Cracks

Africa’s political cracks, as wide as these are, call for an examination to make clear the eventual fixes. For all the credit that can be given to the continent’s efforts, the challenges remain and need addressing. Even if fighting corruption appears to be high on the agenda, the typicality of the approaches is not without questioning. Politically at best, Africa’s performance remains disappointingly patchy. Independence for all that it promised has not made the breakthrough for the time that this framework has been in place. This paper examines the challenges by way of focusing on the fixes.

Politically, Africa’s neglect of her population in the underdevelopment that this entails can be cited as the fundamental flaw. This paper will refer to this as the ‘African condition’. By this, the damage of centuries of colonialism can be taken into account as being ‘instrumental’ in the continent’s ‘slow’ pace. Africa, for all the meanings that she wants to put to democracy is politically ‘tied-back’ thus resulting in selling a falsehood to her population that abbreviates their expectations. The fact that this has not backfired, has to be credited as the goodwill, patience and well-meaningfulness on her part.

Independence if anything has added its own layer to the political cracks. Owing to this, Africans can be blamed directly for the failures and shortcomings. In part, the challenge means the ‘reverse-engineering’ as the start from this point. Moreover, removing the ‘hidden colonialism’ that has kept a ‘stranglehold’ on Africa’s vast wealth is a must. The farcical day-to-day political enactment by Africans hides this ‘painful’ truth which has to be admitted before the fixes can start. If anything, the scramble for Africa’s resources has just taken on the added complications of the political corruption and greed.

On the basis of the independence that the continent claims to have won can be radically questioned just on the basis of what is on the ground. The ‘African condition’ has even invented labels that ensure that nothing can be done politically to tackle the underlying corruption and greed that comprises of the historical pillaging of Africa’s wealth. Worst, the ‘top-down’ democracy made evitable confuses the fundamental question of who benefits from the status quo. For all the constitutional processes that the continent can ‘come-up-with, what is meant by African liberation remains in question.

Sadly, the statement that Africa is ‘fantastically corrupt’ can be made on the pretext that it will not be properly challenged. Yet, this is the reality has to be at the forefront of African thinking. Otherwise, what are the likes of Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and so forth being credited for when democracy is talked about? As such, even the xenophobia of late is not accorded to its right causes. Worst, Africa will go to war to justify pretexts that are made obvious by the political cracks. This paper owes as part of its integrity to be truthful about the status quo that has been kept as the norm.

As seen in the crisis of Liberia, Rwanda, Serra Leone and so forth, it is hard to get an African analysis let alone radical thought to this end. Helped by the continent’s ‘lazy’ media, ‘stereotypical’ views that Africans cannot manage their ‘own’ affairs become unavoidable although these are without basis. Coupled with the colonial ‘hangover’, almost amateurish methods can be employed to scheme carnage, damage and dependency on a scale that slows Africa down further. Moreover, the silence of Africans protesting this, remains as a formidable hurdle to the eventual fixes.

Still, the strategy or solution holds at its core, the living conditions of the people rather than the ‘political elite’ that exist as the result. Under this, the understanding of what Africans has to do must be asserted as achievable, believable and doable. This is critical to steer away from the crippling onslaught of ‘aid and loans’. Critically, the renaissance that the continent has envisioned has to put into focus. Politically, Africa cannot vote and then ‘trust’ that miracles will happen. The hopes and aspirations of Africans must be carried towards the respected position that will prompt the genuine partnership to their cause.

In other words, the political cracks must be read as being resolvable on the basis that Africa has the resources and means for doing so. Next, these call for the focus with the ‘value-base’ down of breaking the ‘African condition’. Thirdly, this makes imperative the ‘bottom-up’ approach to carry people as part of the outcome. Moreover, peace has to be given the criticality that is linked to Africa’s economic ‘well-being’. Concluding, the required focus must bring together all the elements under the confidence, competence and consistency that Africa can do brave, outstanding and great things.

Richmond Quarshie