HomeOld_PostsObama a disappointment for Africa

Obama a disappointment for Africa

Published on

WHEN an American President with a Kenyan father, Barack Obama, left Africa last week, the continent was unsure whether apart from his colour, he still considered his roots African.
When he spoke glowingly about human rights, especially those of the African child, for a moment we thought a son of Africa had come to correct the world order while standing on the soil where his father was born.
“A child born in Africa today is not equal and just as worthy as a child born in Asia or Europe or America,” he said.
Perhaps the black American President was going to trace inequality right from the days of slavery, so we thought.
But we were soon left with our mouths wide open when the rights he was particularly concerned about were those related to the freedom of choosing a sex partner of one’s choice.
In short homosexuality.
Here was a black-American President advocating what we in Africa regard as a disgusting culture, yet inexplicably accepted by Europe and America.
Our own President has aptly described it as a behaviour which is even shunned by pigs and dogs.
So when President Obama went on to express how much he was hurt by a history that some people were treated differently under the law, he was not referring to the black slaves ill-treated in America.
He was instead referring to African countries like Kenya itself, Nigeria and Cameroon, among others, where there are stiff anti-gay laws.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who was hosting Obama, could not let his cousin live Africa thinking that he could convince the continent to adopt American values, no matter how unpalatable.
“There are some things Kenyan culture and society do not accept,” he told the Kenyan-born first American sitting President to publicly support gay marriage, right in his face.
And President Kenyatta must have been speaking on behalf of the rest of Africa, for similarities in culture across Africa are numerous.
In the same way, after President Obama’s recent visit to Africa it becomes very difficult to distinguish him from any other white American President.
For the culture of homosexuality is one of the several similarities between America and Europe.
Obama, carrying on from the conviction of Europe and America, is adamant that the West knows best what is good for Africa.
And homosexuality is one such good.
When Obama was defending this ‘right’ while he was in Kenya recently, he must have been convinced that America was right to coerce poor countries like Mozambique and Malawi to accept gay rights.
These are countries whose economies largely depend on the goodwill of American backed non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
When recently Uganda was on the verge of stiffening anti-gay laws, President Museweni must have been threatened by Obama and company when he decided to suspend the legislation.
He had to check with psychologists first to find out whether there were some people who were born genuinely gay.
But before Obama came to his country of birth to preach about ‘gay rights’ black-Americans would have been happier if the President they had overwhelmingly voted for would expend his energies fighting for their welfare.
It is accepted that the plight of black-Americans has worsened with Obama as President.
The frequency with which blacks are shot dead by white American police is sickening.
The percentage of blacks in jail remains high and generally life for blacks in America is largely inferior compared to whites.
Perhaps President Obama might do a lot of good to his legacy if he identified himself more with the values of his fellow blacks both in America and Africa.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

Kariba Municipality commits to President’s service delivery blueprint

By Kundai Marunya IT is rare to find opposition-controlled urban councils throwing their weight on...

The resurgence of Theileriosis in 2024 

THE issues of global changes, climate change and tick-borne diseases cannot be ignored, given...

Britain haunted by its hostile policy on Zimbabwe

TWO critical lessons drawn from the recent debate on Zimbabwe in the British House...

The contentious issue of race

 By Nthungo YaAfrika AS much as Africans would want to have closure to many of...

More like this

Kariba Municipality commits to President’s service delivery blueprint

By Kundai Marunya IT is rare to find opposition-controlled urban councils throwing their weight on...

The resurgence of Theileriosis in 2024 

THE issues of global changes, climate change and tick-borne diseases cannot be ignored, given...

Britain haunted by its hostile policy on Zimbabwe

TWO critical lessons drawn from the recent debate on Zimbabwe in the British House...

Discover more from Celebrating Being Zimbabwean

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading