TSWELOPELE MAKOE
Johannesburg - The unity in Africa has been fractured long before the Scramble for Africa when seven Euro-Western powers enacted the division and colonisation of our continent.
As a result of this era between 1881 and 1914, we are stuck with a lingering legacy of entrenched structures that create not only physical but also social and institutional separatism.
However, in modern times the need for Africa’s unity, collaboration and cooperation cannot be over-emphasised. Throughout African history, we have had many influential figures and leaders advocating for the unification of all 54 African countries.
This has been a long journey complicated by the adverse legacy of colonialism that has ensured African nations remain deeply influenced and dependent on the global north. Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah was among the leading lights of pan-Africanism.
And here at home Robert Sobukwe was one. There is an array of reasons why the unification of Africa has been such a strenuous pursuit. African nations have not only been riddled with socio-economic instability but have also been under the guise of greedy governments who do not prioritise the interests of their people.
Corruption, bribery, and mismanagement of national budgets have been central to the failure of many vital developmental structures. Civil instability and violence are somehow remnants of political and economic orchestration by international, often Euro-Western powers - for the sake of their gain.
Additionally, rebels that are funded by external forces to destabilise African nations have been a stark feature of contemporary African societies. But it doesn’t end here. Tribalism is another huge factor in the division of African nations and people. Tribalism stems from a colonial method of “divide and conquer” where various tribes were categorised and physically segregated into inhabitable areas of the land.
This was the colonial method of creating fractions and segregation among the people of Africa, whose values are rooted in ubuntu/Botho regardless of tribe and culture. This is still particularly evident in the modern African context, as is proven by the xenophobic violence that has plagued certain parts of our continent. African people may have distinct differences among themselves, but they perceive each other as fellow beings, skilled professionals, and overall assets to the growth of Africa.
We cannot speak about Africa’s lack of development without revisiting the cruel role of colonialism in African history. Economic greed, coupled with the failure of economic reparations has been a key factor in the sluggish development of African nations and their unification efforts. Today, from Cape to Cairo, Morocco to Madagascar, millions of African people live below the poverty line.
Business Tech reported that in SA alone, the food poverty line - referring to the amount needed to afford the minimum required daily energy intake, is R624.00 per month, while the minimum amount needed for basic food and household needs is R1335.00 p/m. As it stands in 2023, 18.2 million South Africans are living below the poverty line.
These statistics are extremely unsettling and indicate a larger socio-economic and structural problem. Although governments are there for the facilitation and support of their countries, a government must be rooted in action, rather than just policy and discourse. It is also vital that civic organisations do not solely undertake the challenge of transformation, or lack thereof, in the nation.
They need to permeate all facets of national life from the grassroots. We need governments that not only hold their institutions accountable but also their private sector, too. Privatisation, one of the 21st century’s buzzwords, is a complex phenomenon in the development of African societies. This is especially evident in our context where the unemployment rate - measured by those who are currently actively seeking employment - is 34%, and continues to stratify.
As a result of this hunger, starvation, and poverty have ravaged our country and many others throughout our beautiful continent. Instability and rebels have been directly funded by external parties for their benefit, to Africa’s collective detriment. Therefore weakened economies and civil unrest are a huge hurdle to the unification of all four AU regions.
However, we need not think about the weaknesses of this unification and instead focus on the numerous benefits of our collaboration efforts. Collaboration in Africa would directly alleviate the pressure that is placed on our national economies. Also as citizens of Africa once close collaboration and cooperation are established and cemented, opportunities would emerge where we would be attracted to work anywhere in the continent and travel anywhere in the continent as we boost tourism and create employment.
This would surely proliferate the occurrence of new businesses, new institutions, and a higher continental employment rate overall. Furthermore, opportunities for institutional collaboration would increase, coupled with educational collaboration and people-to-people diplomatic relations through sport and culture. This would also bring about the development of modernised transportation systems and routes, as well as facilitate the diversification and franchising of African businesses throughout Mother Africa.
Socially, this would have a widespread impact, not only on the educational systems of Africa, but also on the social and civil institutions that deeply influence social trends, general knowledge, and society at large. The discourse and propositions of African governments when it pertains to economic advancement are always deeply dependent on foreign investment.
However, we need to start rebuilding African nations that facilitate the advancement of businesses, small or large. We need to encourage and aid entrepreneurs and facilities that bring economic growth. The unification of Africa has crucial benefits for every single person living in our continent and the diaspora.
A cooperative system of governance not only alleviates the pressures that our fellow neighbouring nations need but also allows African nations to learn and benefit from the efficient structures of other nations. Since its emergence in July 2002, the AU has sadly done very little to amplify the unity of Africa.
I argue that discourse is simply not enough to enact a transformation in the continent. Neighbouring African countries, regional African countries, and African organisations need to make a stride to collaborate, initiate and execute measures that will not only socially but also economically benefit them. Former president of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, referred to the idea of African unification as follows: “The United States of Africa”.
He dreamt of a united African continent, with a single currency, a single passport, and a continental army. Gaddafi was steadfast in his advocacy of this dream, so much so that it was a logically laid-out plan. He repeatedly asserted this plan to his fellow African leaders and was distinctly assertive in his advocacy for this mission. Upon his assassination in October 2011, it was universally recognised that his plan for Africa would create a significant shift in the global order, thus this plan put a target on his back.
I say, it is pivotal to the future of Africa that we maintain Gaddafi’s dream of unity, that we advance not only our development, but collaborative development among African nations, and create bonds within this continent that will benefit us all and give us authority and autonomy.
* Tswelopele Makoe is MA (Ethics) Student at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice at UWC. She is also a gender activist.