Posted on 07/11/2004 5:48:51 AM PDT by Ironfocus
Africa's masses had to be mobilised for a revolution to improve the continent's political, economic and social situation, President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday.
Writing in his weekly online column, ANC Today, Mbeki said that duty would fall on the Pan African Parliament (PAP) and the African Union's (AU) Economic, Social and Cultural Council (Ecosocc).
"The call to achieve Africa's renaissance is therefore necessarily a call to the African masses to rise up in struggle to defeat poverty and underdevelopment, to end Africa's marginalisation and to restore the dignity of Africans everywhere," wrote Mbeki.
There was a need for a "veritable revolution that must lead to the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment on our continent, the restoration of the dignity of the African people and victory in the struggle to end the global marginalisation of Africa and Africans".
However, to achieve this Africans must fully understand the impact that slavery, colonialism and racism has had on them.
"There are some in our country and the rest of the world who demand that we should view and treat these phenomena merely as a matter of historical record, with no relevance to our contemporary struggles for Africa's rebirth.
"We see this clearly in our own country, where some insist that apartheid is a thing of the past, and that all references to the continuing impact of that past constitute an attempt to 'play the race card'".
He said it was important the impact of that past was understood so that Africans were empowered to deal with the present.
"Our purposes are not informed by any desire to blame those historically responsible for the most terrible crimes against humanity, but to design the policies and programmes that must help us to achieve Africa's renaissance."
Mbeki said the genuine democratisation of African politics and the empowerment of Africans to be their own liberators was critical.
"It is our responsibility, acting together with all other patriotic forces in Africa and the African Diaspora, to ensure that we mobilise the masses of the people to act as their own liberators."
He called on African academics to inform people about the consequences of slavery on the continent.
"It has a duty to educate us about the emergence and impact of racism on the societies that were the victims of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism."
Mbeki said the establishment of PAP emphasised the need for the empowerment of Africans to play a role in changing their lives. – Sapa
Good luck with all that.
Does that about sum it up?
I wonder how South-Korea, Vietnam, Japan and some eastern European countries recovered so quickly from devastating wars to at least have positive economic growth and stable social environments, but in Africa it has been over 20 years in most places, and still nothing. Yep, still slavery, colonialism and whatever other evils which befell them from the West.
For there to be an African renaissance they need a healthy, educated population. Education and health are investments they need to make starting now. Outright revolt to displace the dictators who exploit them would be a good starting point.
Side bet. He won't read them or understand them and within ten years there will be millions of dead Africans who died from famine and preventable disease being buried amidst the weeds on fallow government-owned farmland
Mbeki is not stupid, but he is a Communist. All this talk of renewal is blowing smoke. You are right, except there already millions dying today.
The struggle, the masses, where have I hear this before?
I believe Samuel Huntington's book ("Clash") has already answered your wonderment. The countries with a civilizational/cultural tradition (not necessarily Western) were able to resume it even after major disruptions, sort of "return to the roots". And it is those roots which are now being seen plainly, just like they were visible in (most of) the past. Examples are everywhere - Czech, Poland, Hungary, Croatia (Western); Belarus, Russia, Serbia (East Orthodox); Middle East (tribal/Islamic); Central Asia (tribal/Islamic+ weak Orthodox transplant from Russia); African countries (weak western transplants on underlying tribal societies) and so on. So it is the roots and quality thereof which shows.
Gore/Lieberman and the Johns?
There, that's better.
LOL, I had Lenin in mind, but you are right.
I knew I'd find it somewhere in the article...
We are the victims and you're going pay for it sucka.
Doesn't there have to be a "naissance" before there can be a "renaissance"? Guess Mbeki considers primitive tribal barbarism as Africa's Golden Age.
Hey Mbeeky....All's you have to do is set the people of Africa free...get rid of all the wild-eyed, fat, slobbering thugs that now run Africa, and walah...Africa would stop being known as the "dark continent" in a few years. Start with the thuggiest of them all...... mugabe of Zim....
Thanks, makes sense. However, there are some exceptions, don't you think? Can it also be that in the other countries there was no tribal system? The establishment of colonies by Europe in Africa drew borders which cut across tribal borders, thereby artificially uniting enemies in one country still today.
He's the president of Africa?
Wrong ideology. It would be like someone sending you "Das Kapital" thinking only if you read it, your ignorance would fall away!
Side bet. He won't read them or understand them
I'll take that bet in a second, this guy is smart and he will certainly understands then, he just doesn't believe them.
They really shouldnt bitch about colonialism, it gave them the only things in Africa that are worth a sh!t.
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