Omo Oba cover photo
We South Saharans are quick to find fault in Chinese but cannot figure out what is wrong with us. Addressing Africans in Dakar, Senegal on 26 July 2007: the former French President Nicholas Sarkozy had this to say: ”I have come here to tell you that the modern man who feels a need to reconcile himself with nature has a lot to learn from the African man who live in harmony with nature for millennia. But I have also come to tell you that there are within you, youth of Africa, two inheritances, two wisdoms, two traditions that have fought each other for so long; that of Africa and that of Europe. I have come to tell you that this split between the African and the European within you forms your ruptured identity.” These are strong and courageous remarks able penetrate deep into peoples mind elsewhere except those of Black Africans. You’ll never come across a rat dancing side-by-side with the snake that has eaten up its family.
The most recent Black African leader; who survived both external and internal attempts on his life, for daring to dig deep into time-hallowed brutal history of British colonialists was Robert Mugabe. How would Mugabe feel; watching his folks dancing around descents whose ancestors were misfits, never have walked the middle of a farm, and were misfits in their country of origin before they were recruited to Africa to kill for land? https://youtu.be/PApO_Ccb2Ik And at the same time, Zimbabweans across the world demonstrated against their son and daughter; Dr Nyatsuro and his wife Veronica who live and work in the UK as surgeon for buying a farm-land in Zimbabwe. https://youtu.be/yJiEcxXpC0U By watching this video; one may be willing to agree with The Economist Magazine 2000 Front-Page of May 13th “The hopeless continent: does Africa have some inherent character flaw that keeps it backward and incapable of development.” The question as to: whether or not, Black African leaders can or can withdraw their personal interest, from their colonial masters to China remains in the dark. https://youtu.be/PIv_mHZWnk8
Points that argue for China are visible to see and these are: China did not participate in slave-trading Black Africans, and all that followed. Last, but not the least: China has no desire for colonies, no desire to eliminate South Saharans now, and in the future. The Chinese came back to Africa for the second time, after Africa’s partial independence from the Europeans in the 50s. They came; neither to civilize Black Africans: to cultivate Mao’s ideology; nor catch souls for their Confucian gods: The came to assist Africans recover from the trauma left behind by the slavers and colonizers. Initially, the China was engaged in building infrastructure either for free, or for cost with human face. In those days, unlike today, the Chinese were 90% Communists. They had little or no knowledge of the prevalent business ethics at the re-independent African states. One of such was, and still is, “ghost contracts” by the government or their agents. Government contracts usually carry 100% on top the actual cost of it, and still so today. The extras are transferred to the procurer/procuress bank account in Europe. The only thing the Chinese knew then was that corrupt officials, as in China, would voluntarily commit suicide before they are caught. Something similar used to be the case with African ancestors when public servants must swear an OATH of loyalty in the SHRINE. Since after Black Africans became Christians or Moslems – worship in the Church and in the Mosque― Black African take their Oath therein, and break it on the way back to their mansion. Now-a-days, thieving officials are celebrated everywhere at South Sahara if they are pop stars. https://youtu.be/JEhzqfHMaTw
At that stage, the Chinese began to retreat gradually in order to learn more about the New Africa. Let’s be honest: what ought the Chinese to do, when Zambia neglects its obligation to China, and what would our colonial masters in similar situation do? Our colonial masters would, as in all cases, show Zambia’s debts to the IMF/World Bank, which attracts progressive interest rate for the peoples to pay until death reliefs them. Let’s come back to sense: Should the Chinese kneel down to sing praise to Zambian leaders for failing to repay their debt? How would Donald Trump or anyone in his position react to a similar situation at any African Wouldn’t Washington bomb them into submission, and or, re-colonize such a nation? When will Black African leaders sit down to analyze their illusions, in order to enable a solution to our problems?
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