Shame On Us Africans!

IT has to be said emphatically that it is a shame for us Africans of African origin to depend on the very people we accuse of decrying what we do and degrading our dignity just because of skin colour.

Yet, we are obviously happy to depend on them all the way from what we wear up to what we eat – How come? We blame our ugly lot on the colonial past. But colonialism is dead! If we fail to shake off the vestiges of colonialism this our own indaba, not the dead colonialists as far as I am concerned.If we still have colonialists in our midst let us pinpoint them and eliminate them as we did those who are dead.But colonialism does not lie in individual persons without power.If you find any white men with colonial power in Namibia or elsewhere on the African continent, the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia will arise and finish them off.By the way, where is their flag? So what are we talking about? As I was writing this, a news item was flashed on the NBC screens about the ex-Zimbabwean commercial farmers being welcomed in Nigeria.Now, it is not the welcoming that is offending my dignity as an African.It is fine that these guys found somewhere else to go if they like.But the elation of the Nigerians we saw, as if God gave them a gift – a blessing of white Zimbabwean farmers to come and produce food for their economy – that was the bomb.They have a large country the size of Texas of which only 1% is utilised.Now they feel God has sent them a gift from heaven in the form of these white farmers.My goodness! Of all the African nations, Nigeria with 120 million people and fertile land, good scientific education, and what have you, is the one country from where we have to hear all this! Indeed, yes, what a shame on Africa.You know what we (Africans) are saying? Instead of saying the Lord’s Prayer properly, we are saying, “Hallowed be Thy Name, Colonialism come back!” Ehee, we are unable to … wow! And back home.Why exactly are we crying for land? Many of us are indeed the very ones who are producing absolutely everything on the white farms.Why have we not adopted whatever better methods of farming (we have learned) to our small farming plots? Just as men are good cooks in big hotels, but when they go home, they transfer nothing of their skills to their wives to improve on food preparation quality.A lot of water flows in the canal between Ruacana and Oshakati.Why are we not caught stealing water from there to water our gardens – that is, if water is forbidden? Etaka is full of water, why did it need a single white man and his wife to come and squat there until they established a huge vegetable project from scratch and with local labour.How many are following suit? Keep in mind that it is not a question of money here but rather a question of will and attitude.Do we really wish to prosper? Having land does not put money into your pocket.Hard work on every square meter does and will bring something.The whole mindset of most of our people is simply not convincing that we mean business.Otherwise tombo would not be the centre of attraction of the vast majority of Namibians.Guys, you have the power to change your lot.It is all between your two ears.This is a wake-up call.Tulinane O Emvula Via e-mailBut colonialism is dead! If we fail to shake off the vestiges of colonialism this our own indaba, not the dead colonialists as far as I am concerned.If we still have colonialists in our midst let us pinpoint them and eliminate them as we did those who are dead.But colonialism does not lie in individual persons without power.If you find any white men with colonial power in Namibia or elsewhere on the African continent, the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia will arise and finish them off.By the way, where is their flag? So what are we talking about? As I was writing this, a news item was flashed on the NBC screens about the ex-Zimbabwean commercial farmers being welcomed in Nigeria.Now, it is not the welcoming that is offending my dignity as an African.It is fine that these guys found somewhere else to go if they like.But the elation of the Nigerians we saw, as if God gave them a gift – a blessing of white Zimbabwean farmers to come and produce food for their economy – that was the bomb.They have a large country the size of Texas of which only 1% is utilised.Now they feel God has sent them a gift from heaven in the form of these white farmers.My goodness! Of all the African nations, Nigeria with 120 million people and fertile land, good scientific education, and what have you, is the one country from where we have to hear all this! Indeed, yes, what a shame on Africa.You know what we (Africans) are saying? Instead of saying the Lord’s Prayer properly, we are saying, “Hallowed be Thy Name, Colonialism come back!” Ehee, we are unable to … wow! And back home.Why exactly are we crying for land? Many of us are indeed the very ones who are producing absolutely everything on the white farms.Why have we not adopted whatever better methods of farming (we have learned) to our small farming plots? Just as men are good cooks in big hotels, but when they go home, they transfer nothing of their skills to their wives to improve on food preparation quality.A lot of water flows in the canal between Ruacana and Oshakati.Why are we not caught stealing water from there to water our gardens – that is, if water is forbidden? Etaka is full of water, why did it need a single white man and his wife to come and squat there until they established a huge vegetable project from scratch and with local labour.How many are following suit? Keep in mind that it is not a question of money here but rather a question of will and attitude.Do we really wish to prosper? Having land does not put money into your pocket.Hard work on every square meter does and will bring something.The whole mindset of most of our people is simply not convincing that we mean business.Otherwise tombo would not be the centre of attraction of the vast majority of Namibians.Guys, you have the power to change your lot.It is all between your two ears.This is a wake-up call.Tulinane O Emvula Via e-mail