Africa's problems are self-inflicted

Editor, RE: “Solutions to African problems are within” (The New Times, December 8). We are weak and everybody’s perpetual patsy because we are disorganised, and we shall continue in that role until we understand, in the savage jungle that is the world, being weak is a sure way of always attracting predators. Our biggest problem is ourselves. Others only take advantage of us because our own flaws and weaknesses arising from those flaws and inadequacies allow them. Any solution to our problems thus need to start by addressing the flaws and shortcomings that afflict us as individuals, as families, communities, and as nations/states/countries, and then, at the apex, as a continent. Until we improve and strengthen ourselves sufficiently at these levels and are able to present a strong united face to the world, we shall remain prey and the ones primarily to blame for our inadequacies and fate. It is long past time we stopped whining about how the world, our colonisers, the neo-imperialists and neo-colonialists (including the would-be new ones like China) are all exploiting our resources and keeping us down, disunited and poor. None of them owe us a damn thing. If, they are preying or would like to prey on us, it is because we have allowed ourselves to be prey, seem to love the role of perpetual victim (we must be the only real adherents of Christ, forever basking in the joyous reward of turning the other cheek for another slap). There is absolutely no reason for us to be; none of all those others have any better natural abilities, mental or physical, than us; they are just better at the kind of societal self-organisation that gives them collective strength that is far greater than the sum of their parts while, for us, we are so chronically disorganised and divided that we are far less collectively than the sum of our parts should warrant. In brief: It is us the problem. All others rightly exploit our own shortcomings to their own advantage. Address our flaws and we shall be on the path to improving our circumstances and condition, whether outsiders want or not. Mwene Kalinda ******************** Couldn’t agree more. As much as I support the idea of stopping the blame game, I also want to see leaders, who for decades have been collaborating with parasitic multinationals from the West, acknowledge that their own failure at ensuring the welfare of the general populace is how we ended up where we are. The author of that piece was the prime minister of Niger. That in and of itself disqualifies him from speaking on the toxic relationship between Europe and Africa. He, among others, is responsible for what is happening in Niger for he allowed the minerals of his land to be pillaged by France and he’s now promoting another form of colonialism while the old version is still operating. He’s the kind of African leaders we don’t need! Ali Rukariza

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Africa's problems are self-inflicted