The Irony Of Africa Day

Just like Christmas, only Christians celebrate it but Africa day is worse for it is celebrated by a few (elite) leaders on behalf of the whole continent. It's very funny that every election we vote for representatives and those whom we vote for tend to over-represent us- they represent us in anything from benefitting from the sweet fruits of independence, they represent us in enjoying funds from government deals, they just don't wan to represent us when we have pressing life issues that doesn't affect them. Cry my continent cry.

Is Africa day for all Afro-Souls or it's for the rich Africans. A homeless boy in the streets of Harare, Abuja, Johannesburg or Kampala doesn't see the relevance of Africa Day for it's only a relief for the home and well nourished working class to spend a day home with their beautifully clothed families. An addressless mother of two see discriminatory sarcasm or classism when she sees a holiday marked Africa day on the gregorian calendar. Is this the Africa that Joshua Nkomo, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela were harassed for? Are their dreams coming true? Their ideals have been jettisoned by a plane of corruption, deceit, greedness, heartlessness, loveless in an arid desert without life, and their dreams are shouting for help and no one is heeding them.

A continent blessed with workaholics and vast resources but cursed with inconsiderate and selfish sons and daughters in charge. I cry, I cry all the time for the spiritual intervention to efface the curse and set the continent free. I read and hear some political analysts stating that the westerners and easterners suppress Africans, but do they sign those so called suppressive deals by themselves. It's our leaders who sign them on our behalf and without enough consultancy and analysis. My fellow Africans let us not be fooled....are our African leaders so dull that they sign one way beneficial deals, that they can be tricked by non-Africans as they say...No!

They get some chunk if benefits which they just don't want us to know. Absence of unity has always be a con, a stumbling block towards the development of Africa. Regional and continental conglomeration that benefits the laymen is only a common phrase in government documents and in presidential speeches, but it never moved even an inch towards realism. My fellow continent men let's not be made political tools, violence against each other is not the panacea to our problems. We attack each other yet those we will be fighting for will be dining and wining together. There is no other definition of violence besides these two words:hate and foolishness.

All these problems do not affect the leaders, but the ordinary African man who has never made any national decision in a single day. Innocent unemployment and poor young Africans who always stretch their begging bowls to the government only to be dished sugarless porridge because there wouldn't be enough mealie meal to make the lovely African paste.

Africa day is only a public holiday, not a day for Africa until we love each other, we fear corruption and violence, we stand with our promises and care about a brother or sister you don't know who's suffering.

Poseidon Tsautsau is a legal studies student, author and a youths activist from Harare, Zimbabwe.