Was Africa Ever Freed?

Words Karimah Shaw

2020 was the year we’d seen the world come to a standstill, lives lost to a deadly disease, economies shut down and working from home becoming the new way businesses and corporations operate. The world is currently crying out for leadership and direction on what to do next. Education and Employment Consultant, Karimah Shaw, explains more about the difficulties that persist in Africa.

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This year, the continent of Africa has seen its fair shares of crisis, with people living in constant oppression due to leaders they have put their hope in. From the inhumane nature of SARS in Nigeria, to the general elections in Guinea, to the national emergency of rape in Liberia and to other African countries who have equally experienced there own tribulations.

The marauding peaks and biodiversity of Africa bestows to the rest of the world its precious resources and culture that heavily influences the societal direction of the western world, yet this fairytale continent which is theorised to be the cradle of life itself has long been descending into a chaotic, callous chamber. This wasn’t how the script was meant to play out - after a myriad of African nations gained their independence it was meant to be a straight line to Westernisation, yet here we are in 2020 where corruption reigns supreme and the forefathers that are meant to lead this nation are oppressing them once again.

The ‘African Goliath’ which is Nigeria, houses over 200 million residents and is the largest operating economy on the continent, who’s primary export is 40% crude oil and natural gas, a resource normally accompanied by prosperous growth of a nation as case studies in UAE pertain. Which leads us to the questioning and the answering of SARS. 

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In our current environment, you’d think this four letter abbreviation ‘SARS’ is alluding to the past disease known in China to be the predecessor to Coronavirus, but just as 2020 demonstrates yet another crisis is playing out. SARS also known as Special Anti-Robbery Squad, is something created by the Nigerian government to counter robbery amongst the streets of its cities. Yet, the problem it sets out to abolish somehow has exacerbated the issue even further. It's somehow ironic that a country so wealthy with resources has formed a task force to retaliate against a poor versus rich dynamic - something going off evidence shouldn’t be present in the first place.

We have seen the power of social media alert the entire world to the inhumane actions of the Nigerian government constituting disgust worldwide however the other nations are yet to see their turmoils gain traction. Governing bodies are meant to bring order and stability to a country. In Africa, this has proven to be the root of the complete opposite - when the head of a fish is rotten, the rest of its body follows suit. This complex play’s as we speak in Guinea as two political opponents turn to child’s play - bickering amongst themselves on ‘who should lead the country to glory’ when final results of the election are yet to be declared. In the midst of this chaos, the leaders' conflict of words has seeped through to their opposing parties causing civil unrest, casualties and eventual demise of the people they sworn to protect, as patriotic citizens turn to physical action to defend the integrity of their party. It begs the question of why elections in Africa are never as straightforward as their western counterparts? Why are leaders reluctant to relinquish power even when evidence clearly states a change of the guard betters the country?

That leads us to the primary socio-political issue that plagues the continent, power. Gaining control on others or events so you can dictate reality to your own liking, citizens often elect candidates on the sales pitch they present on how they plan to wield that power effectively for the betterment of the people, but its a running theme that some political leaders sell a lie to then rest on their laurels. Yet in some countries at first glance but traversing through the thick fog of national propaganda conflicts and travesties rage on.

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We zoom intensely into Congo, the geographic heart of Africa and home to 80% of the worlds Cobalt reserves - a vital element that is imperative in the manufacturing of electronic devices specifically in preventing overheating and erasure of data, once again another example of Africa powering not only the west but the whole world. This has caused what’s been described as a ‘silent holocaust’ a travesty akin to the cause of one of the world’s most brutal wars yet there’s no coverage, no traction and no exposure or solution fronted by the United Nations. Rebel forces and neighbouring countries rob Congo of what is one of the world's most important ores - deploying children as slaves in inhumane conditions to mine the cobalt maximising profits but once again leaving the children of Africa empty handed and chained to poverty. 

Turmoil continues to breed in Africa with no future structure in place to end this everlasting suffering, the youth have used 2020 to voice their discontent but their suffocated by their governing bodies - choked of their life or futures and forced to look west to improve their realities and somewhere to effectively deploy their craft. Why can’t it be in Africa? In their homeland where the land bleeds diamonds and the people cry ambition, it's simple. When slavery was abolished the shackles were not cracked open but rather handed to another forefather, one who resembles them; who manipulates the truth with their best interest in mind only to be left disgruntled for their quest for autocracy, and as more of Africa’s promising youth take to the west - their skills and ambitions, Africa will be left withering away as large nations embezzle its materials and its voices.

Karimah Shaw - Education & Employment Consultant