From Havana to Harare

“THAT country doesn’t have resources like Namibia, but the commitment the government has to the people is unbelievable.”

This observation was made by Jefta Nguherimo, a researcher based in Washington DC, after a recent visit to Cuba. Nguherimo is not alone.In 2002, after his return from visiting Cuba, former US President Jimmy Carter basically reached the same conclusion, saying in terms of education, health and other social indicators, the country had done extremely well.This assessment, as you would expect, didn’t resonate well with the Western media, more so the Americans.They were waiting to hear the opposite from Carter.So, how did a small island-nation with few resources and subjected to American and Western embargo and economic sanctions for more than 40 years manage to survive and prosper? And it is not just economic sanctions and embargo.Cuba has been under constant American military and political harassment and threats since the revolution in 1959.That culminated in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 – a US-planned and funded attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro and his government.Although the invasion was a total embarrassment for the Americans; they didn’t stop there because there have been numerous attempts on the life of Castro and even outright terrorists acts against anything Cuban since, as one of our old and revered statesmen Toivo ya Toivo pointed out in last week’s The Namibian.What’s the point of all this? Well, if Africa needs some inspiration, I suggest it takes a closer look at Cuba.The reason, in my view, is very simple: the Cuban experience shows that if a country is united, committed and, above all, follows the right policies.It can overcome the odds even in the absence of massive resources.Cuba did exactly that.This brings me to the tragedy of Africa.And part of that tragedy is currently playing itself out in Harare where life has now become almost unbearable for the majority.If one accepts the official/popular explanation that Zimbabwe’s downward spiral started after 2000 with implementation of the so-called fast-track land reform, which was then followed by the UK and the West imposing sanctions, then we should realise that our economies and political systems are built on very shaky grounds.Just six years of sanctions by the West and the Zimbabwean economy is bleeding, yet by comparison, Cuba has been under a much harsher economic and political sanctions but has managed to hold on.And Cuba, ironically, went on to help most of these African countries especially during the 1970s and 1980s when they were fighting for independence.No wonder that last year Castro paid an emotional homage to the hundreds of thousands of Cubans who have been, and are still, providing medical and technical assistance; and to those who fought alongside African freedom fighters against colonialism in countries such as Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, saying they wrote a glorious page in history that should be copied by future generations of Cubans.Now what history are we Africans writing? Yes, we fought for independence but then we jettisoned the high ideals that many people stood and died for.We are now busy pushing millions of our people into permanent poverty and destitution because we are following policies that are known to have failed elsewhere.Black economic empowerment (BEE) is now paraded as an economic policy in Namibia and SA.The exponents of BEE should look closer to home.Zimbabwe has had a BEE policy in place since independence in 1980.But they were a little bit smarter than either the Namibians or South Africans and called theirs simply indigenisation – to hide the racial connotation.But, of course, the outcome has been the same.The BEE candidates are simply incorporated into the existing grossly unbalanced structures of the apartheid/colonial economy.So, it doesn’t matter whether it is called BEE or Indigenisation, the policy still remains cocooned in its narrow programmatic reach.And, of course, the benefits to the larger society are obviously limited.This is precisely what has happened in Zimbabwe and this scenario is likely to replay itself in Namibia and SA pretty soon, if it is not happening already.And an economy that is not built on strong foundations can easily collapse as soon as a dog sneezes, hence the contrasting experiences of Cuba and many of the African countries such as Zimbabwe.Castro’s policies have focused on developing the whole nation and in the process made the country strong in contrast to African leaders, who, because of ideological confusion, concentrate on a select group of people – either class or tribe.I was moved last year when reading Castro’s homage to his people.There is no doubt that Castro and the Cuban people thought they were fighting for a genuine cause – African liberation.But there is another issue that is forgotten: there was a clear ideological clarity in all this.Cuba was helping what were then perceived as progressive movements and countries (read socialist-oriented).So, I feel so disheartened that most of these forces and countries that received some of the greatest solidarity in recent history have now become reactionary.And one of the greatest ironies of our time is that while the Cuban forces were helping and protecting the MPLA government in Angola from falling, Western and American oil companies were the ones drilling and shipping the oil back to these capitalist capitals.Of course, during those years the MPLA was fooling everybody that they were on a socialist path – hence the Cuban support.Thus, in a sense most of these African countries failed Cuba and in the process failed themselves as all of them have now embarked on a road of primitive capitalism.I just wonder what Eduardo dos Santos, Mugabe, Mbeki or even former President Nujoma discuss with Castro when they do meet him.Because ideologically they are now worlds apart.Nguherimo is not alone.In 2002, after his return from visiting Cuba, former US President Jimmy Carter basically reached the same conclusion, saying in terms of education, health and other social indicators, the country had done extremely well.This assessment, as you would expect, didn’t resonate well with the Western media, more so the Americans.They were waiting to hear the opposite from Carter.So, how did a small island-nation with few resources and subjected to American and Western embargo and economic sanctions for more than 40 years manage to survive and prosper? And it is not just economic sanctions and embargo.Cuba has been under constant American military and political harassment and threats since the revolution in 1959.That culminated in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 – a US-planned and funded attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro and his government.Although the invasion was a total embarrassment for the Americans; they didn’t stop there because there have been numerous attempts on the life of Castro and even outright terrorists acts against anything Cuban since, as one of our old and revered statesmen Toivo ya Toivo pointed out in last week’s The Namibian.What’s the point of all this? Well, if Africa needs some inspiration, I suggest it takes a closer look at Cuba.The reason, in my view, is very simple: the Cuban experience shows that if a country is united, committed and, above all, follows the right policies.It can overcome the odds even in the absence of massive resources.Cuba did exactly that.This brings me to the tragedy of Africa.And part of that tragedy is currently playing itself out in Harare where life has now become almost unbearable for the majority.If one accepts the official/popular explanation that Zimbabwe’s downward spiral started after 2000 with implementation of the so-called fast-track land reform, which was then followed by the UK and the West imposing sanctions, then we should realise that our economies and political systems are built on very shaky grounds.Just six years of sanctions by the West and the Zimbabwean economy is bleeding, yet by comparison, Cuba has been under a much harsher economic and political sanctions but has managed to hold on.And Cuba, ironically, went on to help most of these African countries especially during the 1970s and 1980s when they were fighting for independence.No wonder that last year Castro paid an emotional homage to the hundreds of thousands of Cubans who have been, and are still, providing medical and technical assistance; and to those who fought alongside African freedom fighters against colonialism in countries such as Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, saying they wrote a glorious page in history that should be copied by future generations of Cubans.Now what history are we Africans writing? Yes, we fought for independence but then we jettisoned the high ideals that many people stood and died for.We are now busy pushing millions of our people into permanent poverty and destitution because we are following policies that are known to have failed elsewhere.Black economic empowerment (BEE) is now paraded as an economic policy in Namibia and SA.The exponents of BEE should look closer to home.Zimbabwe has had a BEE policy in place since independence in 1980.But they were a little bit smarter than either the Namibians or South Africans and called theirs simply indigenisation – to hide the racial connotation.But, of course, the outcome has been the same.The BEE candidates are simply incorporated into the existing grossly unbalanced structures of the apartheid/colonial economy.So, it doesn’t matter whether it is called BEE or Indigenisation, the policy still remains cocooned in its narrow programmatic reach.And, of course, the benefits to the larger society are obviously limited.This is precisely what has happened in Zimbabwe and this scenario is likely to replay itself in Namibia and SA pretty soon, if it is not happening already.And an economy that is not built on strong foundations can easily collapse as soon as a dog sneezes, hence the contrasting experiences of Cuba and many of the African countries such as Zimbabwe.Castro’s policies have focused on developing the whole nation and in the process made the country strong in contrast to African leaders, who, because of ideological confusion, concentrate on a select group of people – either class or tribe.I was moved last year when reading Castro’s homage to his people.There is no doubt that Castro and the Cuban people thought they were fighting for a genuine cause – African liberation.But there is another issue that is forgotten: there was a clear ideological clarity in all this.Cuba was helping what were then perceived as progressive movements and countries (read socialist-oriented).So, I feel so disheartened that most of these forces and countries that received some of the greatest solidarity in recent history have now become reactionary.And one of the greatest ironies of our time is that while the Cuban forces were helping and protecting the MPLA government in Angola from falling, Western and American oil companies were the ones drilling and shipping the oil back to these capitalist capitals.Of course, during those years the MPLA was fooling everybody that they were on a socialist path – hence the Cuban support.Thus, in a sense most of these African countries failed Cuba and in the process failed themselves as all of them have now embarked on a road of primitive capitalism.I just wonder what Eduardo dos Santos, Mugabe, Mbeki or even former President Nujoma discuss with Castro when they do meet him.Because ideologically they are now worlds apart.