The Tears of a Fool and the Dreams of a Panafricanist
By Emmanuel Mumba Katyoka
“I said experience should speak, gray hair should teach…….but it is the spirit in man, the breath of the most high that gives understanding” Job 32:7, 8
I have waited long to express my thoughts, waited for my youthful zeal to be tempered by the experience of life and the benefits of gray hair. For life will oft give wisdom and experience in exchange for ones years. I waited for life, waited to give it my years, hoping that somehow time would afford me a greater measure of wisdom and understanding.
I tried to hold my peace long enough for a few gray hairs to appear but “my thoughts within me are like a fire locked up in my bones”
For as I look on Africa the continent of my fore-fathers, I see a continent shaped like a question mark. It is as though a question was asked…but went unnoticed, faded with time until only a question mark remained; leaving behind a puzzle that has continued to defy the intellects of philosophers, scholars and statesmen alike.
For Africa is a continent faced with a multiplicity of problems, intricately woven into a tapestry of misery, pain and despair. Is there hope for
Africa? You ask;[pullquote]Millions of Africans cannot see beyond the hunger, civil war, corruption, bad leadership, unfulfilled political promises and a future that looks bleak by the day; having been told it is in the skin[/pullquote],
Africa has many questions. Questions you see etched on the brows of a million labourers failing to make ends meet, questions you see on the swollen stomachs of fatherless malnourished children in the streets asking how they got here, Questions that you see lurking behind the smiles of prostitutes prowling the dark streets of many a city across the continent.
Searching the major news networks of the world, one cannot help but observe how poverty continues to wear an African face. Our forefathers dreamed of pan-Africanism, today we Dream of an ‘African renaissance’. Yet Like one who dreams he eats and awakes hungry, the hopes of the masses remain unrealized and the rat race continues unabated. Is there hope for Africa?
The Tears of a Fool
Legend has it that when Alexander the great reached the banks of the river tibre, he broke down and cried “there are no worlds to conquer.” Unbeknown to him, his tears were nothing more than the creation of his map writer’s ignorance. For the map Alexander held in his hands showed him that the world ended at the river tibre.
Millions of Africans cannot see beyond the hunger, civil war, corruption, bad leadership, unfulfilled political promises and a future that looks bleak by the day; having been told it is in the skin, it is genetic, it’s a curse from God, it’s a Blackmans problem, and it’s an African problem. Nothing can change.
So like Alexander, they weep. But Unbeknown to Africa, its misery like that of Alexander is nothing but the creation of the map writer’s ignorance.
For God does not make winners or losers, he only makes ‘choosers’ and choice is more powerful than chance. Africa needs to make choices; Choices of leadership, education systems and priorities.
Africa needs to choose the future over today. To choose the best among its sons to lead the way into the future; for though Africa has no shortage of leaders, Africa has a shortage of visionaries. For Leaders can only look but visionaries can see. Africa has needed a microscope to see a cell and a telescope to see the stars. But in order to see the future, Africa will need visionary Leaders. Those who can discard the map of limitation and look to the ultimate map writer who said “If you can only believe….. All things are possible…….”
For a nation or a people to overcome the challenges of backwardness and economic stagnation requires effective knowledge management and a sustained commitment to attaining thought leadership. Africa needs to focus and manage its learning needs beyond the attainment of literacy and basic education towards research and development.
Man has explored space and discovered that the universe continues to expand at the speed of light. We in Africa need to explore the ‘universe of ideas’ and expand our reach in the areas of science, technology and research with thought at the speed of light.
We need to think. Thoughts are free. But thoughts do not cost the same. Some thoughts are worthless, some costly, others- worth a million dollars.
We in Africa, need to define a new standard of thought, vision,conduct and achievement. Poverty does not grow out of the soil of Africa, It is manmade. Blaming the past and burying our heads in the sands of neo colonialist conspiracy theories will not take Africa forward. Africa needs to use its imagination to see a future worthy of its endowments.
I believe God shaped Africa like a question mark, in order to let us know that the key to resolving the many challenges that beset our continent and indeed the third world, lies in our ability to question and challenge the status quo, To question our poverty, to question the boundaries of our expectations and to begin to place a demand on our ability. Africa has been great before. Africa was the continent of the great pyramids, the continent where paper was invented and yet today the continent suffers from widespread illiteracy.
Ba Katyoka this is a very good article, truly Africa need visionary Leaders. Those who can see beyond limitations that Africa experiences.
Good article; BUT PAPER / PAPER-MAKING WAS INVENTED IN CHINA. IN FACT, IT IS ONE OF THE FOUR GREAT INVENTIONS OF CHINA, ALONGSIDE THE COMPASS, GUNPOWDER AND PRINTING.
~@2 every one want to say they started this and that. As far as i know, writting started in Africa. This is a very good article I have learnt something from it. i also need to appreciate the writter on how he has address the issue of Africa being sharped like a question mark.
Wow,very interesting. I have so many questions for Mama Africa but how can i ask a question to a question mark? Good one!
Terrible article
How about an article on the United Kingdom as well?
Thanks
How it ran your grandparents into the ground based on the color of their skin?
You glorify the land you live in but Sh1t on the place you were born.
Are you still talking I thought your mouth was badly bruised after an adventure with Nick’s thumb
#4..very funny :d
Mushota…sorry no need to write anything about your beloved country. Everything is perfect there. Just go back to sleep and put that white thumb in your mouth and lick it until it pays you again. How about that?!
Thumb.
That’s funny as its about the size of Nick’s Penis.
Take the role of the colonial power, seeking fame, glory, and riches in the new world. As you proceed through the ages you can launch expeditions of discovery, colonize regions, expand your merchant fleet, build capital buildings that give your nation distinct advantages, develop your economy and if necessary, declare war. Establish missions, ascertain scientific supremacy, and trade in exotic goods. These goods will have to be exploited on an industrial scale and resold in colonies. The Europeans and the Americans were and are for it. Now the Chinese, Indians, and the Arabs are for it. Wither to Africa, wake up! You lease your large valuable portions of land for 99 years and what-have-you plus corruption. God help us.
Good morning
Very thoughtful piece of writing. I agree with the author that the multiplicity of problems on the African continent is just too overwhelming that one does not even know where to start the solution process from.
However, there is still something mysteriously magnetic about Africa that the world has failed to explore and can still not phathom. Africa can rightly claim to be the geographical, cultural and anthroposophical center of planet earth. Africa is the cradle of civilisation, the home of humanity and the heartbeat of all mankind.
The African heritage is the heritage of all heritages. It is up to us Africans to guard this heritage. Like Chinua Achebe once wrote: “Until the lions produce their own historians, the story of the hunt will only glorify the hunter.”
Great article, my man! “So like Alexander, they weep” but “the tears of a fool.” Hmmmm…that’s deep.
Good article because it questions the status quo in Africa. But I would argue that, firstly Africa is shaped like a Heart. A heart of forgiveness due to abuse it has gone thru in past centuries. Secondly, yes good leaders are a must. But good citizens with right work ethics are also a must to complete the picture. Each one of us must find it in ourselves to say ‘ If it is to be, it is up to me’ rather than ‘If it is to be , it is up to the leaders to lead me’. And by the way, the term ‘developing countries’ is now used and not ‘third world’ because it has a positive connotation reflecting progress.
THIS ARTICLE COINCIDES WITH WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING WITH MY FRIENDS WHILE DRIVING IN NORTH LONDON. MY ARGUMENT WAS CENTRED AND EMPHASISED ON RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY. OUR GOVERNMENTS, INDUSTRIES SHOULD PUMP MONEY INTO RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY. EG DO WE REPLANT OUR HARD WOOD (EG, MUKWA TREE etc WHEN ITS CUT DOWN FOR EXPORT?) AS WE DO TO THE EXORTIC PINE AND EUCALYPTUS etc. OUR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CENTRES SHOULD WORK ON MAKING MUKWA SEEDLINGS etc FOR REAFORESTATION…
…WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST KAPINGA GRASS (TURF) TYPES IN ZAMBIA THAT OUR RESEARCHERS CAN WORK ON TO DEVELOP SEEDS FOR HOME USE AND EXPORT. THESE ARE JUST SIMPLE EXAMPLES THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY MOST OF US.
Can someone verify the latest information on Wikipedia about
President Michael Sata. We are tired of these alarming rumours, can these be stopped in Jesus name. We pray for peace to prevail in Zambia and we pray for God’s proctection upon our leaders. Christians please pray fervently for our nation, Zambia needs all the prayers. God bless Zambia, our leaders and every Zambian.
Africa is NOT a country. Of the 54 nations, the challenges are completely different. The are within the continent countries which are doing well in terms of democracy, economy and human rights records. To bundle all these together in comparison one European country is not fair in any way. Democracy should not be interprated in the same way across societies. Have lived in some of these Develped societies, the challenges seem to be the same except most of these countries have managed to strengthened the institutions of governance. It is a process and alot of African countries are getting there.
Thank God the alarming rumours about President Sata have been removed from Wikipedia. Lord Jesus we pray for protection upon our leaders, may you raise up intercessors who shall not give you rest but will continuosly pray for Zambia until righteousness, peace , wisdom and love prevails over our nation, our leaders both ruling and opposition and upon all Zambians. God bless our Great nation which you are using as a beacon of hope in Africa.
Interesting article, but because of Africa’s diversity, I agree with #15 Espetano.
Number 2- Keen Observer… good try but Egyptians used papyrus 3000 years before Chinese discovered paper using bamboo material.