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African unity remains elusive

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SUNDAY, May 25 marks 51 years since the formation of an organisation designed to foster the unity of all African states was formed.
The initial name Organisation of African Unity (OAU), later changed to African Union (AU), placed special emphasis on the importance of a united Africa.
When the Chairperson of the AU, Madame Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma recently gave her vision of Africa 50 years from now as a heavily industrialised continent full of glamour and glitz with everybody pulled out of poverty, she was probably influenced by that dream of unity.
That dream looked a distinct possibility when the founders of the then OAU were of the calibre of leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Gamel Nasser and Emperor Haile Selassie, among others.
Indeed, their resolute determination to see the whole of Africa achieve political independence through majority rule saw the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa.
Their united determination remains legendary.
However, the unity envisaged by Madame Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma that will see the fulfilment of her vision is now very elusive.
This is because the present crop of African leaders has shown an alarming over dependency on their former colonial masters.
And will Europe ever allow us to develop when we are always running to them cap-in-hand for help?
Some African leaders tend to over elaborate their deifying of their former colonial masters.
Let’s look at the situation in Nigeria, a country we consider to be the economic giant of Africa — a country we look upon to provide leadership to the African continent through the AU.
True the AU might not have the muscle to tackle the menace caused by Boko Haram, but this is not to say Nigeria ignores the continental body and rush straight to France.
We hear of Nigeria rushing to France with former French colonies like Cameroon, Niger and Benin for a mini summit to solve a problem in Africa.
Likewise, Mali had to rush to France for help when it was recently facing national problems.
When are we going to reach that level of unity which will see us invite outside intervention as a continent and not as individuals?
The French perfected their art of mental colonisation, which included brainwashing through their policy of assimilation.
It looks like our big brother Nigeria is now more inclined to be also assimilated into the French West Africa ‘camp’ as opposed to the AU.
Madame Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma’s development dream presupposes Europeans at the recent EU-Africa summit were sincere when they said it was a meeting of ‘equal partners’.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Resource-exhausted Europe will never allow resource-rich Africa to be an equal partner in development.
By so doing we are assuming Europe will welcome direct competition with a continent whose resources it needs for sustenance.
In fact what Europe will always do, and enthusiastically for that matter, is to make sure that subservient Africa remains perpetually disjointed.
This they will do by creating internal strife in individual African countries and by creating stooges to disrupt harmony in countries trying to promote self determination.
Zimbabwe is very familiar with puppet parties like the various shades of the MDC.
With Europe determined to see Africa remain poor, their influence is likely going to see a development model very different from what the AU chief has in mind.
With Europe in full control, an approximation of Madame Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma’s development in 50 years is likely to see a few filthy rich across the continent with the rest wallowing in abject poverty.
Without unity, genuine development will remain a mirage for the African continent.

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