Africa needs to find solutions to the staggering levels of
poverty, unemployment and corruption. The continent needs to engage in a real,
open and honest debate that will address the source, impact, proposed solutions
and implementation of solutions with clear intentions to emancipate her
citizens; solutions that will not benefit the minority in power but also the
poorest of the poorest as equally as the rich and wealthy.
I do not propose to have solutions, but I have made an
observation as to where some of the problems can be coming from and what may be
done. But I also want to challenge a debate around some of the things I share
in this blog.
Over the past few years, countries have witnessed civil
societies taking to the streets and to government houses their expressions of dissatisfaction
over poor service delivery, student riots over free education in South Africa
coupled with massive destruction of state and private property, political
power struggles in South Africa, politicians arrested, taken to courts, corruption
scandals exposed and many other things that I do not really want to bore you
with. All these things have in one way or another portrayed a symptom of sickness
or cancer that if not properly diagnosed and treated may lead many people and
countries in distress. The people who have been put in charge are sometimes not
taking charge. They are focused on building a portfolio that will make sure
that they are financially taken care of later when they are no
longer in power. The greed and selfishness and lack of proper visions and plans
of leaders, the lack of compassion of fathers, the rebellion of children, and
the absence of great educational systems keep on eating away the pride and
cream of the African wealth.
South Africa, for example have more than ten million people living
on social grand and over 25% on unemployment. The average household income goes
as low as R500 per household, there is excessive labour exploitation with men
and women working for a basic wage that does not fit human labour as well as
poor living conditions. The poor remains far at the bottom pit of the food
chain and keeps on going down deeper and deeper. As for whether there is hope
for them, prophets will have to be called to speak on behalf of God before the
nations. At the same time, Politicians must be called to task. They must
account on what they have done with the power and trust given to them by the
millions of people that they assume to be leading while continuously “allegedly
enriching” themselves using the tax payers money.
On the other end, the burden of disease keeps rising. The World
Health Organisation predicts very dark pictures on international outlook of
health. People are becoming unhealthier through excessive consumption of sugars,
salt and fats and completely unhealthy lifestyles in the face and rise of technology
based lifestyles. We will wake up to a sick versus healthy nation of ration of 1:1
one day and there will be no solution or remedy to reverse the dire situation
and dying nations. But still, we will look back and point a big finger of blame
towards ourselves because all these things have been caused by men. Men have
become his own enemy. Our wisdom has become so one sided that we fail to see
that our deeds are slowly preying on our own health.
When men are slowly eating and drinking their lives away,
others are becoming slaves for money and espouse themselves to seeking more
money. Their desire for money induced by the desire to compete and fit into a society
that uses material possession as a licence for social integration leads them to
rejecting the very core and fibre that builds healthy, effective and productive
societies: family. The family unit is somewhat neglected. Children are raising
children. Men and women spend more time at work and on the road that they
hardly have meaningful conversations about their lives, their health, their
spiritual nurturing or the upbringing of their children.
Then I ask ; why are Africans poor? Could it be
political leadership failure? Could it be broken families? Could it be broken and poor work ethic? What about the education system? I believe that all this is costing Africa and robing her of her very best the
land has to offer. When I look at Africa I see a wealthy land. On the contrary,
when I look at Africans I see more poverty yet food is lying underneath their
floors.
