Part 1: Why Africa Does Not Develop

You hear this many a time … It is said in almost every gathering of people of color. Its like a conspiracy and one has no choice but to stick with their own. The meme is that the white man is doing every thing they can to keep the black man down. That’s right. The white man is so evil and so conniving and so smart … Smart enough to keep a whole race of able bodied people in their place. This belief is so pervasive that it ensures that a great many black intellectuals do not consider other theories of underdevelopment or racism or even the institutionalization of the black man without looking at the thumb of the white man.

But how true is it that the white man sits atop the black man and wants to keep him there? Well, if we looked at this as philosophically as we could, the truth is that the one who pays the bills and controls the tools and modes of production actually calls the shots. Thus, if the white man controls the land, pays the labor, has and decides who gets the capital and also has managed to make a fee from providing the service, then he is going to be the piper. We will jump to his tune and do whatever he says.

However, this presumes that the black man is inferior. That is not true. Black men are just as smart as white men. And the two races, under any circumstances, are equal. Thus, there must be a weak link somewhere – a thing that ensures the continued paucity of the race. The answer lies closer to home than most people think. The reason Africa will never develop is not because white men are much better or even much better placed. No. Africa will never develop because black men themselves are too narrow minded and privileged to actually work on solutions for the rest of their race. Yes, I said it. Black people do not possess the mental capability to think long term. Many of them will sell out their own people to benefit or prolong their lives of luxury while the rest of the black men will keep their own behind because they just do not have the mental fortitude to hand over the reigns of power and influence to more capable men.

I am sure you have seen the story often. The word you may be looking for is: ‘dictators.’ Many African leaders stay in power for much longer than they are needed. Of course, white men and leaders outside the continent do exactly the same thing. Mussolini’s heart pounded just as black as Idi Amin’s or even Joseph Kony’s. The people of the former Soviet Union suffered at the hands of Josef Stalin; and in Chile and Cambodia, the dictators there – in a bid to ensure their own survival – decided to do whatever it took to remain in power and continue to thrive.

But Africa’s dictators are a little different. There are just so many of them. Because of their sheer numbers and the basket cases of their respective countries, one cannot be blamed for seeing and hearing only bad news coming from Africa. And for the record, because many of the world’s poor, dying, starving and diseased are currently occupying the Dark Continent, many in the West reach out to deal with enlightened black people.

Sigh … You should see some of the black people in positions of power. Many of them do not know that they do not know what they are doing. Again, I said it. And I will say it again: Many of the people in power do not know that they do not know what they are doing. Narcism, if you ask me. And it is one of the biggest reasons these black people do not know. Also, they use their positions of power as places from which to eat, survive and thrive. And here, you have to feel sorry for the white people that work with them. How do you tell someone that does not know their mental capacity that they are foolish? Secondly, how do you argue with someone who is, no doubt, incompetent but are afraid that you will find an even more incompetent person to replace the former? Lastly, there is a chance that the white people dealing with the lone or token black person do not know that this is not what is best for the African people. Sometimes, they just do not know any better. Poor, poor misled white people!

All this sarcasm and polemic is placed here to say two things: First, white people are not to blame for the under development of Africa. Do not let any of these Africans appeal to your militant self. Secondly, next time you see an incompetent African, pinch him right below his right ear. This, I was told by a primary school teacher, makes someone a little smarter. That, if kept at for about 3 hours a day, is enough to lead to the development of Africa.

Dennis Matanda,
Editor – editor@thehabarinetwork.com