Hi friends, I wish to post my response to what Matshwene E. Moshia a member of AYF (African Youths Foundation) wrote on the situations in Zimbabwe. I attached a copy of his (Matshwene's) letter and my response. Thanks.
Matshwene E. Mashia WROTE:
"Comrades, Sisters, Brothers and African Youth in General
My english might not be as fancy as the one of those who have spoken previously and so might be my knowledge of history. Why shoud I worry because I'm not here to exhibit such.
The situation in Zimbawe has made me to loose few droplets of my valuable tears and I am not sure if whether I will ever gain them back or in a way refill my tears tank. Where are African leaders. The Zim issue makes me angry because I have realised that the African leaders have this unprofessional brotherhood thing that fail them to talk when another black brother (president) is acting like a wild animal. That is why Thabo Mbeki and other African leaders are quite about Zimbabwe situation. Mugabe is their "brother" so they can not express their views against him when he is acting so wild.
Mugabe has been a leader in the past and I personally respected him and he was treated with dignity, but today can I ship the same dignity to him? The guy who has superpower over the media and every zimbabwean life?
African leaders spoke openly and boldly about South African situation during apartheid and I was happy even though they were few minutes late. That was because it was a white man who was treating fellow black africans unfairly, but today is black against black and they are silent, why? I have a black skin, but I am missing something here. Does a black skin get hurt more when tortured by a white man than when is tortured by a fellow black man?
We had Africans like Charles Taylor, Idi Amin and today is Robert Gabriel Mugabe and African leaders are still silent. Even Obasanjo was a dictator when he was still in the military. History know him quite well. What is the use of having African Union and .....
Why would we expect the global world to take Africa serious while we (Africans) are not taking each other very serious. In South Africa, a country with a population of approximately 48 million, we have 3 million zimbos and many other people from as far as palestine and middle east but I don't remember the South African government debating about immigration issue seriously. Desmond Tutu has spoken but he i not the president. Maybe African leaders need more caffeine in their systems before they can speak on issues.
Why would we wait for situations to be worse before we speak, and how do we measure worse in this context. Is when million people have died or what scientific or political instrument do we need to measure the degree of how worse the situation is? Africans, I am troubled.
Mugabe has declared openly that George Bush and Tony Blair are his main enemies and we as Africans have also declared openly that poverty and diseases are our major enemies. Mugabe has handed Zimbabweans to enemies (poverty and diseases). Why can't we hand Mugabe for two days only to George Bush and Tony Blair (his enemies) so that he can feel how painful it is to be handed to an enemy (poverty and diseases in african context).
What worries me more is when the previous president of Namibia (Sam Nujoma) is acting as a yes sir to Robert Gabriel Mugabe. A man of his age still saying, yes sir?
From troubled african soul. Matshwene E. Moshia"
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My RESPONSE:
Dear Matshwene E. Moshia,
I’m indeed very delighted to read your message titled “ZIMBABWE AND AFRICA LEADERS”. You expressly informed the whole world of your opinion about the issue going on in Zimbabwe, wherein you called “ZIM”. I have some few points to add to all your suggestions and maybe I might be able to shed some lights on some areas in your discourse that I feel are a bit cloudy.
Dear fellow Africans, as for me, I have never thought the problems of Africans are skin related mostly in the context of which my colleague, Matshwene E. Moshia has said it. The major problem with Africans is deeply entrenched in the fact that we tends to assume and re-adjust to every situation so quickly. We have a very high level of self-preservation gene that has made us to relegate ourselves to any prevailing circumstances. I still believe we can utilize these unique virtues in more profitable forms than how we are using it now. If you all see my point, you will realize that Africans must for now or say by now be fully ready to stand up for whatever injustice we tend to be facing. I’ll say, from history, governments in Africa have always been like kingdoms; that is, most of our rulers are always in form of monopolistic hegemonies.
We have for long centuries ago been ruled by the supposed royal families whose decisions had always been finally and supreme to all mortal. As for the case of non-ruling class or say the “subjects”, we tend to always live up to whatever the rulers say or do whether right or wrong. Now going by this belief of our ancestors and our history, the trend has not “really” changed. We still somehow see the people in Government as Kings and we tend to believe whatever they say or do. We still see ourselves as their subjects and are ready to be “quiet” in whatever the situation may be. With all these beliefs, the people in government too see themselves as the lord of the land, the demigod whom must be obeyed anytime any day and in whatever situations.
Sequel to these beliefs that I can say had been running down the trails from centuries and families up to today, the African mentality of government has been formed. This mentality has now encroached deep into our lives and has subjected us to the fact that we can’t do it ourselves than with the help of other supposed foreign powers. On this point, I want to make a point clear, the only people that can help Africa and Africans are Africans not any power outside of Africa. This is subjected to the fact that in whatever the case may be any foreign power will definitely have their motives for been interested in helping. And I must confess the motive most times do not always come in line with the need of Africans. There is what we can the power play, which I think has been relegating my dear continent for the past many decades.
The only form of help to the “African needs” can uncompromisingly come from you. Here I mean from Africans but I’ll say we should always understand what sovereignty means. For it is sure that presidents of other African countries can help in cases within other sister countries but there is always a limitation to these form of helps. So my dear friend who made a case against the South African president, Nigerian president and other African presidents that they have been so silent about the case in “ZIM”, I would say, do you know what cases/problems they too are facing in their own nation(s)? Sometimes these leaders tend to look clean/good or very friendly whenever you see them outside the shores of their state (countries) but deep within most of them, they still embrace the “African Rulership” styles. Please, do not be deceived that a messiah in form of any African leader is coming to help solve the “ZIM” crises but believe that the only right solution will come from within the “ZIM” itself. That is, the citizens should come out and empower themselves to fight corruption from within; by these if the forces within is greater then the forces without (outside) can make effects. By these, I’m not saying most African leaders are corrupt or that those ones I mentioned above are particularly entrenched in corruption, but I’m just making a point that the only right solution to things within any nation mostly in Africa should come from the citizenry. We should never be expecting any other country to save us because; they equally have their own issue(s) to solve.
As for the supposed foreign powers, I’ll advise that we Africans should take our mind off their help. If it comes so be it but otherwise we should make our own case ourselves. My reasons are numerous and with examples. Firstly these people always have a way to play around facts and figures. Sometimes if not most times, they have ulterior motives to their helps and solutions. African should still remember the slave trade eras in our shores. As for examples, I’ll not be specific, but I’ll just say; “look around the world and see for yourself” the countries that THEY have HELPED recently or previously. You may tell me what you see or noticed. The only outside helps that I have seen worked were those that emanated first from within and later taken over from without (outside). By these, the people within have already dictated the pace and directions suitable for them & the foreign power just followed the pace and the directions.
Injustices are easily fought if we take it in simple cases at a time (step by step). Things are not to be rushed. Otherwise it may degenerate into huge violence such as civil wars. Africa has experience more than enough civil wars already I do not pray to add one more to the list. “ZIM” shall be free, but I have a question, what really do you think enters into the hearts of the supposed good/fair people just after they have power? Could it have been the way we (citizens) neglect or fail to challenge ALL their steps and decisions? Could it have been because we tend to just leave them to do whatever they think is good unchallenged. Could it have been the same Ruler ship mentality or the Kingship mentality? Maybe, this is sequel to the citizens’ subjective nature? Maybe any of the above…but I know anybody whose authority is unchallenged will definitely turn to a despot in a matter of time. If a leader knows he/she has a lot to do/deliver or say, lots of challenges from his/her people I believe nobody will have to remind him/her that the time to leave office is close. But as it is in Africa, some of our leaders’ decisions go unchallenged; the seat of power is always too sweet for them because of our nonchalant attitude towards whatever they do (right or wrong) so why should they want to leave. It is part of human nature, so sometimes lets not just sit down and blame this people…but lets brace up to challenge all their steps and decisions, and equally teach our children that the era of kingdoms, dictatorship & despotic ruler ship is over, that they are FREE to contest any decision made by anybody in as much they do this within the context of the law and in orderly manners.
My finally question is that: “will you not change if you get to leadership position? Of course you’ll say YES, but for ever situation you go by everyday, you’re given a leadership role(s). Look very well you’ll see, and ask yourself “am I doing it right?...look into your family; am I doing it right? … If you can’t manage a little people or organization or even yourself how can you do for large group or even a country? Life takes steps and stages. Let’s change the Dictatorship mentalities and FREE ourselves from long time bondage of self guilt and self relegation.
Africans! We can all do it both equally and even better.
Africa shall be free…let’s not rush…every journey starts with a step!
Long live Africa…long live the World.
Temitope Ogunro
