The Berlin conference and after

Mchili

JF-Expert Member
Aug 19, 2009
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Nimetumiwa hii na rafiki yangu na kwa kweli nimeipenda japo ukweli unauma. Sasa tumlaumu nani na tufanye nini ili tujinasue?
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I found your cover story, “Carving up Africa” (NA Feb), interesting and thought provoking. While it’s a shame that several African countries will be celebrating their golden jubilees this year with not much to show for it, a lot of issues need to be put into perspective to understand the continent’s problems.

It’s unfortunate that we choose to find scapegoats and blame our colonial masters for our current predicament. How many other people were colonised besides Africans, the Koreans, Chinese, and Indians just to name a few? So how come other people have successfully managed to shake off the yoke of their colonial masters? Would you blame your mother for your poverty at age 50? What went wrong in Africa?

In your article you said the sizes and small populations of some of our fragmented countries were a problem. I don’t think so. Nigeria, for instance, has the right factors required by a country to be an economic powerhouse – a large population, plenty of natural resources – yet the reality is different.

Singapore on the other hand is smaller than most of the tiniest African countries with a population of less than five million people and no natural resources to boast of. Yet today it is listed as the fifth wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita. What did the Asians do that Africans have failed or refused to do?

At the time of independence, many African governments inherited working systems – from constitutions to physical infrastructure. How many countries today can boast of having invested and improved their existing infrastructure?
The often-touted idea of a borderless Africa will continue to be a pipe dream unless Africans deliberately decide to free themselves from the burden of colonialisation.

How many Africans would be proud of wearing shoes made in Africa as opposed to some famous Italian brand made in China? As long as this consumption pattern continues, we will never break free. Perhaps we should take a cue from the Indians and South Koreans.

The South Koreans were colonised but because of their hatred of the Japanese and anything associated with them, they created their own products. That is how the Samsungs, LGs, Daewoos and Hundais were born, and they are proud of their own. If we love bread then we must learn to grow wheat. Until we start consuming our own products, we will just provide a mass market and cheap source of raw materials for others.

African unity can only be achieved through trade. The current arrangement where, for example, Sudan is exporting its oil to China and the neighbouring East African countries are importing their oil from the Middle East, is ridiculous.
But every country must strive to produce something, that is the only way they could sit at a table and negotiate an equitable trade arrangement with others and among themselves. Without this, we will just be creating loopholes for smuggling and the dumping of goods imported from elsewhere.

We can complain and apportion blame but we can’t change history; however our destiny is in our own hands. There is never going to be another colonialisation to correct all the wrongs done. We should pick up the pieces and move on.



by Moses O. Oremo. Dakar, Senegal
 
Nimetumiwa hii na rafiki yangu na kwa kweli nimeipenda japo ukweli unauma. Sasa tumlaumu nani na tufanye nini ili tujinasue?
-------------------------------

I found your cover story, "Carving up Africa" (NA Feb), interesting and thought provoking. While it's a shame that several African countries will be celebrating their golden jubilees this year with not much to show for it, a lot of issues need to be put into perspective to understand the continent's problems.

At the time of independence, many African governments inherited working systems – from constitutions to physical infrastructure. How many countries today can boast of having invested and improved their existing infrastructure?

The often-touted idea of a borderless Africa will continue to be a pipe dream unless Africans deliberately decide to free themselves from the burden of colonialisation.

of raw materials for others.

African unity can only be achieved through trade. The current arrangement where, for example, Sudan is exporting its oil to China and the neighbouring East African countries are importing their oil from the Middle East, is ridiculous.

But every country must strive to produce something, that is the only way they could sit at a table and negotiate an equitable trade arrangement with others and among themselves. Without this, we will just be creating loopholes for smuggling and the dumping of goods imported from elsewhere.

We can complain and apportion blame but we can't change history; however our destiny is in our own hands. There is never going to be another colonialisation to correct all the wrongs done. We should pick up the pieces and move on.



by Moses O. Oremo. Dakar, Senegal

Thanks for sharing! I am trying to think why? and what we should do

1. Infrastructures: They are not our infrastructures! we have not built them by our own currencies, all infrastrures that are built based on aids or funds from WB/AIMF they are likely to suffer the same. Hall 2 and 5 at UDSM they are good example, Apart that these buildings are very important but they are also situated where the heart of 'brainy people are' what about bridges and other structures that are existing in Rukwa, Matombo village! Mali ya urithi siku zote haidumu

2. Colonisation: There was never freedom! they went away still they continued to rule us through their policies and world market is a good example of that. If they came to seek raw material, where are they getting now? did Britain experienced second divine creation?

The worse is that ,when the direct regimes of whites was over; we invited another regimes of black colonisation! CCM will always be a good example of black settlers who claim to lead the country while their actions are denying their claim.offcourse we have never ever experienced independence than having flags and nations athem

3.Produce something: Not until our ties are cut off from white or western and eastern countries, not when globalisation is in effect, not when we have leaders who never think about having our own products. Yes we may produce, we may have good and big industries but what does that make when all these industries are owned by very same whites under different names as wawekezaji!

'These' Free market,globalisation etc, without being controlled by well defined visions, goals and plans are deadly poissons or ticking bomb to any developing countries. The hybridisation of these current challenges with some conservative systems like ujamaa would do better.

So Yes, Moses O. Oremo has touched good points, but Africa is not free and she was never free even when whites went away! in fact when whites went away we turned on to colonise our own people! together with remotely colonisation of whites (neocolonialism) our situations are worse now than ever ;the science and technology are 'good pain killer' or illusional to cheat us that we have developed. ,
 
chukua tano! We shld learn to consume from our own creations, then labda tutapunguza huu ufisadi...aka ulafi! Tukiweza ku-produce products zetu wenyewe, kwa ajili yetu...basi price of product = the ability of consumer to pay for it! Hii itasaidia sana!
 
Infrastructures: They are not our infrastructures! we have not built them by our own currencies, all infrastrures that are built based on aids or funds from WB/AIMF they are likely to suffer the same. Hall 2 and 5 at UDSM they are good example, Apart that these buildings are very important but they are also situated where the heart of 'brainy people are' what about bridges and other structures that are existing in Rukwa, Matombo village! Mali ya urithi siku zote haidumu

Whom to be blamed for that? Why didn't we build our infrastructures in 1970s when we had surplus in our treasure? Insteady we focussed our mind into others politcs and believed that it is not our job to bult our nation, rather is our ex colonials job. Up to now our Mkulu anapita na bakuli akitangaza umaskini wetu wakati mabilioni yanachotwa na wachache.
 
Colonisation: There was never freedom! they went away still they continued to rule us through their policies and world market is a good example of that. If they came to seek raw material, where are they getting now? did Britain experienced second divine creation?
I think we refused to be free. Ni kama mtumwa aliekuja kukombolewa na ndugu zake hata mfalme alipompa ruksa ya kuondoka alikataa ili aendelee kula vonono kwa Mfalme. Matokeo yake mfalme alipokufa yeye ndie alichaguliwa kuzikwa na mfalme akiwa hai. Kwani hao wakorea na Wachina n.k uhuru wao ulikuaje. They rejected their ex-master once and for all and started to work out the road map for true freedom at their own. Sisi mawazo yetu yalibakia kutawaliwa hata tukasahau sababu ya kupigania uhuru.
 
The worse is that ,when the direct regimes of whites was over; we invited another regimes of black colonisation! CCM will always be a good example of black settlers who claim to lead the country while their actions are denying their claim.offcourse we have never ever experienced independence than having flags and nations athem
This is very true Mkuu. Hii black colonisation ni wabaya kuliko wakoloni halisi ambao waliweza hata kutujengea reli, barabara na mashule japo kwa wachache. Watawala wengi wa kiafrica baada ya uhuru walikuja kufanya replacement tu ya wakoloni walioondoka na unyonyaji wao kwa waafrica wenzao ni mkubwa na mbaya zaidi kuliko wazungu. Ndio maana kumekua na backward development tokea uhuru. Hali ya mtumishi wa serikali ya sasa ni mbaya mara nyingi tu ukilinganisha na hali ya mtumishi wa serikali wakati wa ukoloni. Hata mkulima huwezi kumlinganisha - achana na porojo za ccm kuwa ''tumejenga shule number..... kwa muda gani na hela ya nani?
 
I think we refused to be free. Ni kama mtumwa aliekuja kukombolewa na ndugu zake hata mfalme alipompa ruksa ya kuondoka alikataa ili aendelee kula vonono kwa Mfalme. Matokeo yake mfalme alipokufa yeye ndie alichaguliwa kuzikwa na mfalme akiwa hai. Kwani hao wakorea na Wachina n.k uhuru wao ulikuaje. They rejected their ex-master once and for all and started to work out the road map for true freedom at their own. Sisi mawazo yetu yalibakia kutawaliwa hata tukasahau sababu ya kupigania uhuru.

Yes we can say we have refused, but it takes free person to know people who are not free! we have been celebrating poverty as part of our daily life! na tunaona sawa tu. We need leaders who will make us free from our mind first, through education system, the way we think and from there we will be proud of our countries. Nchi chache sana za Afrika zenye raia wazalendo.

We feel inferior, kuwa wazungu wana akili, wanajua kila kitu, we can not do innovations na kuona we are not qualified for. Ukisoma literatire zao wanasema wasomi wa Africa hawana uwezo wa kufikiri kesho!!!!!!!! huwa tunafikiri tuntukanwa lakini ukiangalia ni kweli kabisa.

Leo tunasema mzungu aondoke, baada ya miaka 20 tunawapigia magoti warudi, tena tunajua fika wana udhaifu wa kutokuwa na malighafi! yet we dont want to use very opportunity ya asili tuliyonayo. Africa haina natural disasters za kutisha kama Asia au America, yet we are underdeveloped , kuna tatizo sehemu. mchango mkubwa sana wa wasomi ni kuwaza dual citizenship! ili tuendelee!

Kama kuomba basi inabidi kufunga kwa mwaka mzima! siyo siku arobaini!

Yes we have refused to be free!
 
Yes we can say we have refused, but it takes free person to know people who are not free! we have been celebrating poverty as part of our daily life! na tunaona sawa tu. We need leaders who will make us free from our mind first, through education system, the way we think and from there we will be proud of our countries. Nchi chache sana za Afrika zenye raia wazalendo.

We feel inferior, kuwa wazungu wana akili, wanajua kila kitu, we can not do innovations na kuona we are not qualified for. Ukisoma literatire zao wanasema wasomi wa Africa hawana uwezo wa kufikiri kesho!!!!!!!! huwa tunafikiri tuntukanwa lakini ukiangalia ni kweli kabisa.

Leo tunasema mzungu aondoke, baada ya miaka 20 tunawapigia magoti warudi, tena tunajua fika wana udhaifu wa kutokuwa na malighafi! yet we dont want to use very opportunity ya asili tuliyonayo. Africa haina natural disasters za kutisha kama Asia au America, yet we are underdeveloped , kuna tatizo sehemu. mchango mkubwa sana wa wasomi ni kuwaza dual citizenship! ili tuendelee!

Kama kuomba basi inabidi kufunga kwa mwaka mzima! siyo siku arobaini!

Yes we have refused to be free!

Inasikitisha sana Mkuu lakini tutasikitika mpaka lini? Mie nawasifu sana waliohamua kujitosa na kutamka hadharani kwamba CCM na utawala uliopo haufai na hautakaa utuletee mabadiliko hata kama atakaejitokeza huko ni malaika. If they couldn't make it for 50yrs ni miujiza gani itatokea kwenye hiyo hiyo system kwa kubadilisha mtu mmoja? Unaona JK alivyobanwa mbavu.

Kuna wengine wako huku nimawaona wanatangaza kuanza kumpigia mkulu debe. Japo ni haki yao, naona hao wanaangalia maslahi binafsi tu. Watatokea wengi.
 
Africans (or us black people for that matter) know how to blame every one else but ourselves. Once a person has that mentality then they can never reach anywhere. That's when you see a person is being abusive to his wife with the excuse that his father was abusive to his mother. That's when we see a person is lazy because he thinks it's someone else's fault he is poor. Yes we were colonized and that was/is mostly to blame. But f we keep using that as an excuse we will not get anywhere. It is time to sit down and admit we have a problem. No excuses as to why we have that problem but just admitting we have a problem. After we do that then we sit to think of the solution. What follows then is implementation of our short, medium and long term goals. The longer we sit down to blame the more time we are wasting. It will reach a point every country that was ever colonized will be developed expect for those in Africa. It is then that we will look foolish amongst the nations of the world.
 
Africans (or us black people for that matter) no how to blame every one else but ourselves. Once a person has that mentality then they can never reach anywhere. That's when you see a person is being abusive to his wife with the excuse that his father was abusive to his mother. That's when we see a person is lazy because he thinks it's someone else's fault he is poor. Yes we were colonized and that was/is mostly to blame. But f we keep using that as an excuse we will not get anywhere. It is time to sit down and admit we have a problem. No excuses as to why we have that problem but just admitting we have a problem. After we do that then we sit to think of the solution. What follows then is implementation of our short, medium and long term goals. The longer we sit down to blame the more time we are wasting. It will reach a point every country that was ever colonized will be developed expect for those in Africa. It is then that we will look foolish amongst the nations of the world.

well said brother! we need to do our assignments
 
Mchili said:
African unity can only be achieved through trade. The current arrangement where, for example, Sudan is exporting its oil to China and the neighbouring East African countries are importing their oil from the Middle East, is ridiculous.
But every country must strive to produce something, that is the only way they could sit at a table and negotiate an equitable trade arrangement with others and among themselves. Without this, we will just be creating loopholes for smuggling and the dumping of goods imported from elsewhere.

Hata U.S.A hawakuungana kwasababu ya umoja ama eti sijui kupendana,no...Ni trade...Matatizo haswa yaliyowafanya wakaja pamoja ni yalitokana na mikwaruzano ya kibiashara na ili kujiletea maendeleo na kuondoa umasikini waliondoa vikwazo baina yao na kadri walivyokuwa wakiviondoa ndivyo walivyo zidi kuwa united.
 
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