Celebrating Pan-Africanism 2015 With A Pinch Of Salt by Elliot Pfebve

As AU formerly OAU formed on 25 May, 1963, the first African organisation after independence, formed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia celebrates 52 years since its formation, it faces serious challenges.

Firstly while Africa is no longer the Dark Continent that it was, serious governance issues still impedes development and distribution of wealth to its citizen. The surge in young people running away from Africa to Europe, taking the hazardous journey with unsea worth ships and many of them perishing along the hazardous journey needs analysis. To date over 2000 people have perished this year alone and over 60,000 have made it to EU. As heads of state of AU governments meet in Joburg, South Africa on 14 and 15 June 2015, this should be high on the agenda. 

Equally disturbing is the xenophobia in South Africa against foreigners in that country, as many as 3 million Zimbabweans are believed to be in South Africa both legally and illegally. This situation is no different to the Mediterranean crisis; the only different is the proximity of a greener pasture. Why should Zimbabweans run away from their Independent country, where the indigenous people have now taken their land from the whites, as Mugabe always has been saying, “land is the economy and the economy is the land?” A mixture of bad governance, corruption, political unrest has been the cause especially for Zimbabweans.  Other African countries may relate to the same or similar circumstances. 

But why is it that people are running away from independent sovereign states to become beggars in foreign land? While no person can claim to have the answers without a proper research, there exists statistical evidence which our African leaders can use to formulate policy.  

Demography: Our leaders must understand that Africa is home to 1,03 billion people, 55% of these are below the age of 25. Unless Africa comes up with strategies to empower this generation and tap into their skills, Africa must forget about stability, prosperity and security. Look at Libya and Somalia, it’s the young that start revolutions and not the 60+, yet in Zimbabwe for example the average age of a cabinet Minister is 65 years and the total age of presidency (3 people) is more than 240 years. This generation gap is as ridiculous as the justification that they liberated us so they have divine right to misrule. Each generation must have its chance to innovate, look at China, after every 5 years sometimes 10 years there is a generational leadership change, and this is what Africa needs badly.

Economy:

How come Africa the resource rich continent of 1, 03 billion people has a combined GDP of $2 trillion while the EU with a population of 504 million people has a combined GDP of $15.8 trillion? Actually UK’s GDP alone is more than that of the entire 54 African members states combined at $2.4 trillion.  Africa is not taking advantage of its resources and its consumption power of over a billion people, and China is an economic power house today because of its population or consumer power.

Solution:

Africa has over 140 million people of its own living in Diaspora, making an average remittance of $60 billion annually, that is more than AID given to Africa. Is it not high time that our governments see their Diaspora population as economic partners rather than as traitors who have deserted their county?

Is it not the right time that African leaders all without exception stick to not more than 2 terms (10 years), whether presidents or Cabinet Ministers so that we can give each generation the right to innovate and contribute to development?

Is it not time that Africa start trading with its self given that it has the biggest consumer market compared to US and EU, ironically Africa countries trade more with the West than among themselves and their trade regime is still skewed to their colonial masters?

Why is that Africa spend so much money using foreign consultants when it has its own pool of experts who can actually do the same job with an added value of cultural and linguistic advantage?  

Celebrating panAfricanism with a pinch of salt!

By Elliot Pfebve