“I STAND before you as the President of the United States, a proud American. I also stand before you as the son of a man from Africa. The blood of Africa runs through our family, so for us, the bonds between our countries, our continents are deeply personal,” – Barack Obama to the 50 African leaders who attended the US-Africa Summit in Washington this week.
Amazing words indeed from a man who has yet to show his worth for the continent he claims to hail from.
We dare not wait with baited breath that there will be the anticipated economic boom in each of the 50 countries that attended the much publicised US-Africa Summit.
President Robert Mugabe did not attend this summit.
He was not invited.
Instead, he will travel to China this month.
Whenever President Mugabe travels to China or any other country that is not part of the Western world, their sponsored media rises to the occasion and breaks down the amount ‘wasted’ on such trips.
Setsukukuviri the same media and their other sponsored regime change platforms view President Mugabe’s absence at this summit as a huge loss to the economy and country.
To them going to the summit was an investment.
The US sponsored non-governmental organisations (NGOs) spokesmen are taking this golden opportunity to fan their careers to life declaring, “Zimbabwe was not invited to Washington on account of its poor governance and human rights record. But now may be the time to start cleaning up its image to enable it to be a fitting invitee next time.”
It appears it is an honour for legitimate and sovereign leaders to be invited to the American ‘democracy lectures’.
The Obama administration is trying to woo Africa and her resources to the table, although unofficially they have been sponsoring looting all over the continent since the Cold War.
Playing to maximum effect, his dark pigment and flowery oratory gift, Obama tells the beaming African leaders, “We don’t simply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth.”
The Americans have realised they have no time to play the aloof bachelor.
In yet another scramble to woo Africa for her resources, China seems to be taking a dominant role.
In the past America could snub a country and the outcast would have to claw his way to beg for the morsels from the master’s table lest his economy crushes.
In 2009, China surpassed the US as Africa’s biggest trading partner.
China’s trade with Africa in 2013 was US$167 billion.
Beijing conducts more than US$200 billion in trade with African countries each year, compared with just US$85 billion between the US and African countries.
The Americans pledged a further US$33 billion to Africa at the summit.
According to Obama his country does not look to Africa simply for their natural resources which is what the Americans have been accusing the Chinese of.
Instead Obama tells these leaders that America looks to Africa for its people, its talents and its potential.
But history will tell the tale that the super power does not operate along lines of charity and anyone who believes otherwise is foolish.
There have been many such promises in the past and decades later there is still no improvement in Africa.
The African leaders are still yet to realise that they have the upper hand.
Should Africa unite and refuse to part with her resources these super powers would find themselves besieged, of course they would kill millions in retaliation, but let us fantasise for a minute what would happen.
Real development based on equal partnership would happen.
This is what Zimbabwe has been doing with China.
One truth that Obama said at the summit was that Africa was the future.
Perhaps it is time that we drum ourselves with that mantra.