Schizophrenia is a mental illness. Its symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder. Schizophrenia sometimes refers to behaviours in which a person appears to have two different personalities. A schizophrenic person may feel confused about their identity, and start believing, say, that he/she is Virgin Mary or Adolf Hitler. Or the Queen.Now, this illness can also, in a sense, afflict organisations and groups of people. Unfortunately, it can also be faked.Uganda is a schizophrenic country, and it took Chogm( Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting) to confirm the diagnosis. The frenzy with which preparations were made to give the Queen of England such a rousing welcome must have surprised even the monarch herself, who should have expected a less enthusiastic reception from a more self respecting former protectorate. Are these the same people who celebrate October 9th? She should have asked.What should Ugandan children learn of colonialism? That it was a wonderful experience?That it was a glorious moment of Uganda’s history? That it gave us the English language which we used to salute the Queen when she came, thus saving millions of taxpayers’ money in translation fees? That Uganda is reaping from British guilt and receiving billions of ‘assistance’ each year, which is actually debt?Maybe it is the Pound Sterling 700 million British ‘assistance’ to Uganda over the coming decade that has atoned for the past exploitation. That Britain should not be asked to apologise and compensate Uganda for the past plunder exacted on her for fear of becoming a Zimbabwe? The most depressing moment this November was the Commonwealth Youth Forum. It would be alright had the Queen come to meet the poor Ugandan World War veterans who fought so hard for her empire, to say “thank you for keeping me where I am”. She did not only not meet them (the veterans), the business club she heads was busy brainwashing young people, sedating them with the so- called ‘Commonwealth values’. These youths were carefully selected for their potential as leaders. You know your country is doomed when its future leaders, the children of peasants, are taken to a five star hotel and taught that belonging to a club of former political slave territories, also known as colonies, is a wonderful thing. And are trained to beg the Commonwealth for “assistance”. This is the colonialist’s way of ensuring that even the so-called future generation of leaders forever remains grateful and confused. Soon, they will learn not to say “God save the Queen” but “God Preserve our King”. For, Prince Charles, the next head of the Commonwealth was in town too, learning how to wave to peasants who live in city shacks. There was another pathetic visitor in town. Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader. He looked very lucky to be loved by the British Commonwealth, especially as his opponent, Mugabe is “contraband” to the club. Morgan could be one of the living examples of why Africa can never attain true independence.When the so-called “opposition leaders” in Africa cannot see the dangers of neo-colonialism and even believe that a political solution can emerge from a sinister club like the Commonwealth, you get a glimpse of a terrible future. Before, Africa’s best brains opposed colonialism. Today her supposedly best minds are inviting it back. Some Ugandans have lamented that the Commonwealth has let them down. Well, neo-colonialism was never meant to let you up. It was designed to sedate you, so that you cannot sufficiently challenge their colonial “governor” of the day, who looks just like you this time, not like Andrew Cohen. Ugandan politicians are advised by defeatists that it is dangerous to annoy diplomatic code 01 and 02, i.e, the British and Americans respectively. You can never be allowed to take or keep power if you are seen to be “anti West” we are told. Well, if the price of power is betrayal of one’s country’s genuine aspirations, it is too high to pay. Battles are fought by tactics. War by strategy. This is why you want to understand Norbert Mao, Ogenga Latigo and Kizza Besigye( all Ugandan opposition politicians). Mao and Latigo sure played the good cop (strategic?) with the Commonwealth. Besigye played the bad cop (tactical?).By deciding to appear schizophrenic, like they are divided on the Queen and her Commonwealth, the opposition parties outsmarted the NRM( Ruling party), which has come out clearly condemned as the only party in Uganda that is not divided on the matter of surrendering Uganda’s sovereignty to neo-colonialist interests. There has not been a single anti-imperialist voice heard from the NRM. FDC, DP, JEEMA, CP, and UPC chose to be unpredictable. Some of their members (the good cops) chose to smile at the Queen, and pretended that they had perhaps forgiven and forgotten the atrocities of colonialism. The others (the bad cops) decided to awaken the nation, especially the young people, that Commonwealth and the so-called historic ties with Britain are hypocritical, shameful and should be questioned forever. They surely were the stronger voice. Those who have been rejoicing on the ‘divisions in the opposition’ may have to look elsewhere. If the opposition was ‘divided’ on the Commonwealth circus, the ruling party was united in selling Uganda to neo-colonialists. This article was first published in The Daily Monitor , Uganda’s independent newspaper. afcenss.afrika@yahoo.co.uk
