By Dr Nevers Sekwila Mumba
Former Vice President of Zambia and President of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy( MMD)
Africa Freedom Day Statement
INTRODUCTION:
Before we became bond men on our soil, we were free. We were widely regarded as the richest continent on earth. It was, in fact, for our wealth that we were colonized. It was for our wealth that we were divided and weakened. Today should remind us that Africa is the original cradle of human civilization. As we commemorate this year’s Africa Freedon Day, it should remind us that we signify what the beginning of life looked like. It is therefore impossible to keep a people like us under bondage. This day must remind us that we have our own heroes and liberators. We must publicly honor them and write our own books. Our history must be deliberately retold on this day.
LESSONS FROM HISTORY
Known as Africa Freedom Day, Africa Liberation Day or Africa Day. Today carries significant worth for every African. It reminds us of our prowess as a people to free ourselves from the shackles of colonialism and creates hope that united, we can defeat any enemy that may rise against us now or in the future. With our bare hands, we defeated well oiled colonial armies.
All it took was a decision to never again, be slaves on our own soil. The resolve was accompanied by fearless and principled leaders who at the price of their own blood unshackled the continent from slavery. It’s for this reason, every african must celebrate this day.
OUR STATUS:
Today, Africa stands as one of the most enlightened continents. It has produced great scholars. Historians, Scientists, Doctors and many in other fields. It has produced the likes of Ali Mazrui, Chinua Achebe, Patrice Lumumba and others who have ably diagnosed the core problem of our continent. From Poor governance to high levels of poverty created by our own ignorance as to who we are as a people.
THE POST COVID-19
We are living at a pivotal time in World history. The world is about to change after COVID-19 from what it was before COVID-19. We are the generation chosen to shape tomorrow’s world. We are the transition.
My message to every african in the post COVID era is to insist that we frame our own future. We must not wait for the West to prescribe a future for us. If they do, they will place us exactly where they want us to be and that’s at the tail end of the new civilization as they did before. In 1884 at the Berlin Conference where Africa was apportioned to European Countries, no African was invited to the table. In Second World War Africans were mobilized to go and fight alongside our colonial masters. Countless number of Africans lost their lives, but when it came to share the benefits of victory, Britain, France, the United States and others, excluded Africa. The only thing we got was a new name of the “Third World.”
History is back again, except this time it has found us grown, matured and more enlightened. Accepting the back bench again would be an act of recklessness on our part.
Some of the areas we must immediately start to interrogate are how to protect and manage our wealth (natural resources). We must search for a new system by which we can govern ourselves which meets our aspirations as a people. We must be bold enough to embrace our cultural values above those we import through television and the internet. We must promote our natural foods which kept us healthy all of our history. We must promote our own music. We must promote our own clothes. We must be proud of our own languages.
If we don’t do our own thing, we shall always be at the back of the line imitating those ahead of us. This is a battle we can never win. We can’t beat an american at being american. Neither can an american beat an african at being african. It’s easier to be a carbon copy than an original. We must not choose the easy way forward. The Coronavirus pandemic provides a very unusual opportunity to reclaim our inheritance and our God given values. If we miss this turning point we may have to wait another hundred years before we can reshape our own destiny.
The larger part of this transformation shall depend on the type of leadership Africa shall select beyond COVID-19. If it will be business as usual with rigged elections, Africa’s plight shall be worse than in the last century. We shall rig our own future to our destruction.
Beyond COVID-19, african nations must re align their multilateral relations with the rest of the world. We must revisit all relations with China, USA, European Union, India and other G7 nations. Our relations MUST be based on mutual respect. To achieve this, we must leverage future bilateral or multilateral relations on our indisputable natural resources. Further, we must avoid the temptation of engaging the world’s bigger economies as individual countries. We must leverage our 1.3 billion population as a continent when dealing with China for instance. Gabon with a population of 2.2 million and a GDP of 16.8 billion cannot negotiate with China with a population of 1.3 billion and a GDP of 13.6 trillion.
Today, we fully understand our problems as a continent. We can no longer continue to outline our mess to the world. It’s time to change our story. To do this, we need new thinking and new leadership on the continent.
We need to set up special think tanks which constitute the best brains and hearts that Africa has, to deal with a new approach to governance and management of our resources.
Africa is now ready to lead.
I thank you.
What is this man smoking
There is too much suffering, poverty, corruption, injustice, sickness. No freedom at all.
What a ln inspiring message.
Meant to say an inspiring message.
Lead in what witchcraft corruption and fake prophets?
You cant produce simple toothpicks you don’t know the last time you visited your own village but you are always in Dubai New York Paris.
Freedom? What freedom just concentrate on finding ways of paying back that huge debt
Thank you. You are right. We will start where we are, with what we are minus the naysayers and the over-thinkers. After all, we have acquired what it takes to make rational decisions and move in rational directions.
How can you be ready to lead when you have borrowed to your eyeballs … this Nevers Mumba is oblivious to the teachings of Thomas Sankara and Patrice Lumumba….anyway this is a guy who was found guilty of misappropriating funds what would he know about responsibilities.
Nevers Mumba is not good at facing facts. Africa is ready to lead? To lead who? Most African countries are either weak, failing or failed states. Wht leadership can emerge from such a bunch? Even the national question is not yet settled in most African countries. “Mobutuization” of the state is still the norm.
I can cite an example on the national question. Chitimukulu not too long ago was on record advocating a high school and a university in Bembaland which would shut out applicants from other provinces. Wht does that say about national integration and the national question in Zambia? Can u hv a united Zambia without national integration? Hw do u build a nation like that? Wht was Nevers Mumba’s comment on the Chitimukulu’s views? Radio Mano in Kasama owned by the Catholic church could not quiz the Chitimukulu on the statement he made. Late Anderson Mazoka studied at a Catholic school in Mungwi and late Elias Chipimo studied at a Catholic school in Monze. Does this unsettle the Chitimukulu?
Awe sure not another political charlatan from Muchinga, we are tired of these thieving and dictatorial animals from kwa naBwalya!
Hypocrite
Excellent article and I fully endorse it.
However, before we can lead, we must first clean up our home and bring our assets in order. Too much exploitation is still going on within our borders, too much power struggle amongst our people making us still vulnerable to outside manipulation. Enlightened we are indeed and it’s becoming more difficult for external forces to stop Africa and Africans from surging forward.
“Washala washala!” like we used to say ku bwaice.. to those who don’t believe it’s Africa’s time now, step aside and let us step up and step forward.
How can you lead when you are busy burning people alive????
Lets change our very primitive mindset which fails to analyse things objectively…even you Nevers with you education failed to seperate hearsay from facts regarding the most recent spate of attacks on innocent Zambians- some of these victims were children, some elderly women etc suspected of being gassers…a culture still primitive believing in witchcraft and black magic where every second 1diot wants to drive the latest SUV and go shopping at the mall with no sense what so ever of community development..how can you lead you dull cretin???
It is funny that small minded people will attack the person instead of debating the ideas. If you think Africa is not ready, say why? In the meantime go to the history of Europe which in 100 years has burned in two great wars fought between relatives. Yet, they came out of those wars to forge a single Europe sharing a common destiny. There was corruption in Europe for more than 500 years, where popes were imposed or bought by the rich, the church exploited the poor and free speech and independent thinking were muzzled with a label of heresy and blasphemy and the victims tortured and killed. Without this, there would have been to United States of America, to which many fled to found new lands free from the tyranny of government and kings, with doubtful rights to rule over others.
They…
They have overcome all those difficulties. Why can’t Africa?
Nine Chale – You fully endorse it but …. anyway you are a gullible individual like Nevers there who doesn’t know whether he is coming or going!!
Who is ali mazrui? Or what has he achieved
Dr Mumba Africa is itself shaped like a question mark coz so much is questionable.Can’t keep cities clean &organized ,no clean water and healthcare is shoddy yet Africa is ready to lead?
For fudge’s sake, this man needs to go away.
Mr mumbai when are you paying
Your office rent?
Leaders do not announce that they are ready to lead!!!.
They simply do their thing, people notice, they admire, and they follow! Kwasila.
This man must just retire in the national interest.
He has lost touch with reality. We don’t know whom he represents in the Zambian society.
I like Chipimo rhe man was honest enough to just call it a day in Zambian politics and there he is doing fine in private life.
Nevers Mumba is not reliable and can sell us to the highest bidder and no other than Chinese.
I don’t trust such men like Nevers and when I see him, I see Judas Iscariot.
Meanwhile PF must go!
It is a well written article and us as a people should not, as I have seen above post start looking at what we cant do or have to do first to be that people. for those that may let me I will say if a higher power has blessed us with the ability to enjoy the fruits of this land we have to take the leap of faith… as other freedom fighters did before… when kingdoms where established it is not like they just happen… they believed and defined there worth and African people should do the same and build from that foundation. I believe in the almighty God the creator of heaven and earth… whatever your belief the creator of the universe has your purpose at the core good or bad.
Sir , this is great message and we embrace it with both arms. If our leaders can think like you , really Africa can be a great continent but alas, all think about themselves, wives, children and a selected extended family. So they would sell a country for the peanuts they get from the infesters. Really its sad for Africa.
Whn Somali pirates were attacking merchant ships in the Indian Ocean, where were African navies? It’s navies from outside Africa that stopped the banditry. Given that kind of record, Nevers Mumba says Africa is ready to lead. Wht does Pastor Mumba know about how this world is held together?
It sounds unphilosophical to cerebtate african freedom day. This is because, africa till today is not liberated from west and middle easts dominion.
The day the masses stop treating their presidents as demigods after they
elect them to that lofty position , and realise that they are still not infallible in that elevated position, then that is the day when we will start real positive development and gain much needed enlightenment. And the ability to lead would follow from that.
Ready to lead to where, Mr President? Freedom ought not just be a philosophical stunt.
Hamajata @17: Ali Mazrui was a Kenyan scholar who’s now dead. He never ventured into politics so all his achievements were in academia. He was very good at articulating African causes and issues, especially in its relationship with the West.
How can you say Africans can lead anyone in this world when we still have the likes of Lungu who have no respect for the law.
To African President, they can change the constitution just to remain in office. Add to that ambulances costing $1million each will be common pieces; 67 Flats building themselves will be common place; the Presidents will shutting down Prime TVs no issues; Chinese trading without licenses and passports will everywhere, etc..say that again Mr Mumbo but think first before you open your porous mouth air otherwise just shut up!
Thanks ,@ nemwine
“We need to set up special think tanks which constitute the best brains and hearts that Africa has….”
AND NEVERS WILL CHAIR SOME OF THE THINK TANKS TO MAKE MORE ALLOWANCES FOR DELIBERATIONS WHICH WILLADD NO VALUE
The problem with Africa is mostly those that are not in power do a lot of Good talking while those in power do a lot of stealing…..
Hw does Africa lead whn it has so many weak states, failing states and failed states? A weak state is one characterized by failure to provide basic functions of the state such as good public services, education, security of the citizen, reliable water supply, etc. Often it depends on aid to perform these functions. It differs from a failing state or a failed state only in terms of the degree to which it performs some public functions. All three levels of classification are undesirable. Can Mali lead in the world? Can the AU lead in the world?