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CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF AFRICA?

Picture credit: Bible Society / Andrew Boyd

‘Why does the wealth of Africa not make Africans wealthy?’

Some hard questions have been asked at ABLI this year. Among the toughest were: ‘Why, when Africa possesses a wealth of resources, is Africa still the poorest and most underdeveloped continent on earth? What is wrong with Africa?’

‘Can anything good come out of Africa?’ was the challenge thrown down to ABLI by Rev Mfanaleni Mkhatshwa.

His extensively researched presentation prompted a lively discussion among delegates.

The opportunity

The opportunity in Africa, he said, was clear:

• The dash for Africa’s resources was the driving power behind colonisation
• Today, Africa remains rich in minerals, such as gold, diamonds and oil, as well as human resources, which are the basis for prosperity and sustainable development. – African Union Foundation
• Around 30 per cent of the Earth’s mineral resources are found in Africa, which is the world’s leading producer of gold
• Africa has seen remarkable economic growth since the turn of the millennium
• Ethiopia has averaged double-digit growth since 2005
• According to the UN, Africa is now the second-fastest growing region in the world

The challenge

Rev Mkhatshwa put this challenge to ABLI: ‘If Africa is indeed one of the richest and most endowed continents, how come it is also the poorest and most underdeveloped continent on earth?’ 

He pointed out that the Republic of Congo holds natural resources worth trillions of US$, yet the population is blighted with extreme poverty and violence. 

And he asked: ‘Why does the wealth of Africa not make Africans wealthy?’ 

Colonial legacy

Some maintain that the root cause of today’s poverty lies in the extreme exploitation of the colonial powers. That period left psychological scars on the continent.

Africans, said Rev Mkhatshwa, have been left believing it is their ‘divine duty to accept what they are told.’

Another delegate commented: ‘Though the colonials left, colonialism remains.’

Moderator Mr Elphy Hunja summed up the challenge to Africa in another question: ‘Thousands of Africans have fled the continent, yet the Chinese are coming here in their droves. In April, Teresa May came here looking for opportunities in Africa. So who is crazy: the ones coming – or the ones going?’

ENDS