“Is ICC targeting Africa or vice versa?” by Nkwazi Mhango

There is a silent conflict blowing between the Africa Union (AU) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). This conflict started after the ICC indicted some untouchables namely heads of states. AU urged its all 34 members to exit ICC. All in attendance agreed with this move except Botswana, that did not see any logic in exiting ICC.

Since independence, African presidents took the role and place of the colonial governors who were above the law. They too decided to be above the law so that they could lord it over their earthlings. And, indeed, they have always done that for decades. Essentially, they became new black colonialists replacing old white ones. To successfully do their things, they made sure that their constitutions clearly stipulate that the president is above law.

This colonial carry over, if anything, is the one that is disturbing African potentates, even after unwillingly consenting to multiparty democracy for those that bother to have it. Due to their newfound infallibility, many African dictators became gods in their own light. Insane and sacrilegious as it may seem and sound, untouchability and sacredness became the symbols and prerogatives of African rulers. Ironically, when such infallible and untouchable rulers appended their signatures to ratify the ICC, they did not know that their licenses to do as pleased would be wound up. They did not know that they wouldn’t have any power whatsoever nor any way they could interfere in ICC business as they just used to do with their judiciaries.

Ethiopia stole the thunder in this onslaught against ICC. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as spewing bile saying, “What the summit decided is that President Kenyatta should not appear until the requests we have made is actually answered.” Again, the AU proved to be fully throwing its weight behind indictees. What the AU did not get is the fact that what they advised Kenyatta to amounts to contempt of the court, something which guarantees an arrest, if not opening new charges against their sacred cow. What makes AU’s calculations difficult to decipher is the role it has played in crises resulting from human rights violation such as genocide that was committed on Dafuris in Sudan. On the one hand, it fully supports Sudanese strong man Omar Bashir saying he should not be prosecuted. On the other hand, the same AU sent its forces to Darfur to stop genocide.

Ghebreyesus added his salvo against ICC saying, “The unfair treatment that we have been subjected to by the ICC is completely unacceptable.” Ghebreyesus did not explain more on how ICC unfairly treated or maltreated Africa. Such lack of explicit and lamenting forced wise people such as Kofi Annan, former UN secretary General to refer to AU’s hanky panky “badge of shame.” Indeed it is a badge of shame which former Archbishop Desmond Tutu reprimanded saying, “Those leaders seeking to skirt the court are effectively looking for a license to kill, maim and oppress their own people without consequence.” Annan and Tutu know our rulers too well. They have worked with them for long. They know how they behave like babies who poop in diapers and start crying while they actually are the ones who created the mess they are in. The reasonable and important thing to do for African rulers is stop thinking backwardly. Stop your gross violations of human rights. Stop behaving like babies by accusing the West of neo-colonialism and still kow tow before it asking for AID to enable you to rule your people. Stop serving two masters, your thirsty opposition of western-originated system of governing and cup-in-hand begging missions to the West. Nobody calls you. You present yourselves. I would applaud the AU‘s move of exiting ICC shall it go in conjunction with stopping begging and doing under-table deals.

I’d urge Kenyatta and William Ruto to pooh pooh AU’s advice for their safety. Shall they heed AU’s malice aforethought to break the law, it is for their peril. The voice of reason says that law is not politics. They need to understand and underscore that the ICC is the court of law, but not the court of politics. We in the legal trade normally agree with a Swahili sage that the law is like a saw. It cuts both sides.

“As for the men in power, they are so anxious to establish the myth of infallibility that they do their utmost to ignore truth,” Boris Pasternak (1890-1960). Will the Truth with a capital “T” ignore them? What a lie one lies to himself thinking all will buy it! Is truly the ICC targeting Africa or vice versa?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“Rwanda can still talk to FDLR and move forward” by Nkwazi Mhango

Franz Fanon in the Wretched of the Earth said, “The last battle of the colonized against the colonizer will often be the fight for the colonized against each other.”

Rwanda’s unrepentant refusal to talk with the DRC based, Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) rebels, eat many heads up in the region. Of late, the world evidenced the tug of war between Rwanda and Tanzania after President Jakaya Kikwete proposed round-table talks. Again, despite all misunderstandings, we need to face it that the conflict in the Great Lakes needs to be dealt with. For better or for worse, nothing human is forever. For how long will we live under fear and conflicts?

Currently, the US is in dialogue with the Talibans in Afghanistan. Israel and Palestine have recently resumed peace talks. This means that any conflict, be it protracted or otherwise, can be resolved. Reconciliation is the only way forward wherever there is conflict. Rwanda as well as DRC needs to move forward given that FDLR rebels will never live in DRC forever.

I understand how Kigali feels, especially when it remembers the magnitude of the sin that FDLR committed during the 1994 genocide that wiped out about one million Rwandans, Tutsi and moderate Hutus. I know how traumatizing it is to revisit such history. Importantly though, reconciliation is inevitable shall the region aspire to have peace and prosperity. Africa’s still dependent on its former masters and other rich and developed countries. How come now that such dependent continent is embarking on creating more conflict than reducing them? Again, history is always written by survivors. Methinks Rwanda should search its soul to see to it that the conflict is solved so that life can go on and write a new history of reconciliation.

Rwanda won’t be the first country to embark on reconciliation. Blacks in South Africa suffered more than any country under the Apartheid regime. Nelson Mandela who spearheaded fight against Apartheid was jailed for long. Again, after realizing that conflict can be used constructively to avoid more destruction, Mandela was the first person to forgive Apartheid regime after understanding the way it felt about what it committed. Through talking to each other, both parts in South Africa were able to read each other’s way of looking at things. In the end, South Africa made a precedent to which almost every peace lover refers to. African sage has it that, those who fight are the ones that cooperate. No way can human beings live without differences, conflicts and all sorts of things as far as misunderstandings are concerned. On this ground, it makes sense to call upon Rwanda and FDLR rebels to talk peace, instead of harbouring hatred and vengeance. Such stance won’t solve any problem. Instead, it’ll double if not triple them.

It defies logic, for example, to presume all Hutus as genociders. How if at all those born during or after genocide did not partake in this megalomania? Hutus who did not partake in the crime feel betrayed and victimized. Those judged wholesomely feel that they’ve the duty to cleanse their names. Those born in DRC, just like those who took over after Genocide, who were born in Uganda, think that they’d go back home. This is where it boils down to scheming to deal with current Rwandan regime either peacefully or violently. This is not the situation a country is supposed to live in. Why don’t we want to learn the menacing danger refugees in Uganda caused to Rwanda? Suppose DRC stabilizes and supports FDLR to take on their home government as Uganda did? This means that another calamity is in the making. This is why it becomes inevitable for two sides to talk and reconcile. How if at all, genocide was the work of a select few in power by then? Rwandans need peace. And peace will come from reconciliation.

I know verily that Kigali would like to respect the dead. Again, as Gerard Prunier put it in his book, The Rwanda Crisis; History of Genocide, “Respect of the dead does not preclude the efforts to understand why they died.” Such take helps us to seek truth and peace in order to avoid repeating the same in the name of preserving and honouring the dead.

Prunier goes on saying that Hutus and Tutsi were not created as cats and dogs. Allowing the conflict to shrive amidst Rwandans is but faulting God’s goodwill of endowing us with higher and bigger brains that make us humans and not animals. Sometimes, due to ignorance, fear and confusion, man can commit sacrilegious things that even an animal can’t commit. Again, once this happens, sane minds must intervene. This is why the international community formed Arusha-based ICTR. This aimed at punishing the guilty and redressing the offended. Now, if ICTR and Gacaca did punish the guilty, why then presume all Hutus as killers?

After all, genocide can be said to be the product of European eugenics, especially John Speke by proxy, that created Hutus and Tutsi for their reasons of exploiting them. It is absurd and indifference to keep on, for example, calling the 1994 genocide, genocide against Tutsi. So too, it’ll be nonsensical to keep on alleging that all Hutus committed genocide. To do away from this danger, Rwanda must willingly talk to rebels instead of feeling that the international community is forcing it to talk. The upshot is those situated out of the conflict, see it better than those involved in it.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“He who’s without sin throw stone at ICC” by Nkwazi Mhango

Although I believe not in the Bible, I like some of its wisdom. John 8:7 says, “He who is without sin among you can cast the first stone at her,”. Jesus was responding to a mob justice that brought a woman accused of adultery. He wanted to assassin the tendency of better than thou among Jews.

Recently, some quarters in Africa proved to act as those Jews in Jesus’ story. Some are now accusing the International Criminal Court of racism, selectivity and targeting black leaders. Is ICC really targeting anybody or it is doing its work? A couple of current and former African rulers are facing charges before the ICC. Indicted are two sitting presidents, Omar Bashir (Sudan) and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya). One sitting deputy president William Ruto is also charged. Two former presidents, Charles Taylor (Liberia) and Laurent Gbagbo (Ivory Coast) are behind bars waiting for their cases to be heard and determined. Suspects along with wannabe suspects and desperados are giving ICC a bad name by accusing it of racism and targeting African rulers. Bashir is charged along with his two lieutenants, Ally Kushayb and Ahmed Haroun. Actually, those people do not advance any legal and logical arguments. Instead they are yelling and politicizing ICC through duping their people to support their evil plot.

Other African indictees are Ugandan fugitive Lord Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony, along with his lieutenants and other rebel leaders from Darfur, DRC and the son of former Libyan strong man, Saif al Islam Gaddafi to mention but a few.

On the one hand, ICC has already confirmed charges against African who’s who, while in the other hand, it has already dismissed other cases involving Africans such as Henry Kosgey, Mohamed Husssein (Kenya), Bahr Idris Abu Garda (Sudan) and Calixte Mbarushimana (Rwanda). Also ICC has already acquitted other Africans such as Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui (DRC). So too, ICC convicted Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (DRC).

Yes. Looking at the above mentioned people, it is true they are all Africans. Again, were they charged because they are Africans or just because they were accused of committing crimes ranging from rape, crimes against humanity, genocide and what not? It is important to underscore that ICC is a legally enacted instrument to deal with legal but not political matters. One would think that those accusing the ICC would produce logical evidence to prove their assertion. Instead, they are making rumpus unnecessarily. Recently Rwanda and Uganda led the choir of taking shots at the ICC. When this happened many asked one major question: Why now, not when African countries willingly and knowledgeably consented to and ratified the Rome Statute? Were they forced or duped into consenting and ratifying the same? Didn’t they know what they were doing? Did they know what they were doing save they didn’t know what would be the impacts of the ICC? Isn’t this double standard in the first place?

Rwanda’s Justice Minister Johnston Busingye was recently quoted as saying, “Africa seems to be taking the lion’s share of the ICC, for example, in the last one decade or so. So our position has really been this kind of justice is selective, and we do not want to have international justice being used as a tool, or being perceived as a tool to control Africa”. I concur with Busingye that Africa took a lion share in committing crimes. Is this ICC’s fault? The whole world knows that Africa has a big chunk of conflict globally.

It is sad to see people we thought to be of integrity such as Ethiopian Premier, Haile Mariam Desalegn jumping into the bandwagon of desperation. Desalegn was, in May, quoted as saying, “The process ICC is conducting in Africa has a flaw. The intention was to avoid any kind of impunity and ill governance and crime, but now the process has degenerated into some kind of race hunting.” Again, who is hunting who if African countries took their cases before the ICC?

Stephen Musau, chair of the Rights Promotion and Protection Center in Kenya however has the answer as to why African countries should not complain but instead put their houses in order. He was quotes as saying, “The failure is what led us to the ICC and that failure cannot be blamed on Kenyans. It is the state machinery, which failed to show the way in terms of how we deal with these issues and because we failed in that, we are supporting the ICC.”

By and large, all being said, we need to know that those accusing the ICC of
selectivity.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“After getting rid of Morsi, next is the army” by Nkwazi Mhango

What transpired in Egypt recently tells a tall story of the future of the country. However, many wrongly thought that the deposed president Mohammed Morsi with his Islamic outfit was Egypt’s major problem. True, Egypt’s problem is bigger than Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood.

If we face it, chances are that soon Egypt will experience more unrests and chaos than it has ever evidenced throughout its history. Those who bother to muse on what causes people to be disgruntled and pull down a democratically elected government will agree with us that the problem is more economic than political. Egypt’s such humongous population that it cannot handle. If anything, this is the real and major problem. Thus, to save the country from itself, population control must be the first priority. Egypt has the population of 82.5 million that is cobbled on an arable land along River Nile and its delta. These areas are among the world highly densely populated with the average of 3,820 persons per square kilometers. Out of 1,000,000 square kilometers Egypt occupies only 2.87% is arable land.

Egypt’s a high educated and vibrant young population. Nobody can harmonize Egypt without addressing the whole issue of the population and unemployment which was 12.5 according to CIA Fact book, as of 2012. And the number surges even higher as days go by. This is the keg awaiting the army to foil. Will it foil it? The army, after being bundled out of power, waited for any opportunity to lord it over whoever that stands on its way. Indeed, Morsi was standing on its way, especially when he fired its former chief and king maker Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who presided over the government after his mentor, former strong man, Hosni Mubarak was bundled out.

Military takeover after revolution did not sink well with either opposition or the citizenry. Due to high demand to kick the army out of power, Egyptians voted Muslim Brotherhood en masse without knowing that it was another anathema. The situation at this moment was like making a choice between a rock and a hard place. Facing two evils, Egyptians opted for Muslim Brotherhood which later proved to be a liability as the army was.

Now that the army is in a bigger picture once again, what’d we expect? Should we expect anti-Morsi opposition to ascend to power and be kicked out due to the fact that it doesn’t have the edge to return Egypt to calmness? Will anti-Morsi-fragmented opposition stand without the support of the army? If the army stands with anti-Morsi to form a government, will it be able to rule amidst chaos perpetrated by pro-Morsi forces, that have proved to be hell-bent to see to it that Egypt is becoming ungovernable? With all these difference plus economic tanking, will Egypt remain the same or forge ahead really?

Although the international community has refrained from becoming players in Egypt’s fate, chances are that we must brace ourselves for evidencing another Iraq, even Syria in Egypt soon. As it seems, there’s no way any of the major players, namely the citizenry, weak opposition, Muslim Brotherhood and Army, can let go or be compromised. The army, on its side, will try to flex its muscles as a short time solution. But as the look of things is, tells a different story. There’s no way a hungry population will give in. How can they give in while what they need is food on the table? To calm Egypt down is enable everybody to bring food on the table. Where will food come from amid chaos and unrests?

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, through his spokesperson, Farhan Haq, was quoted by BBC as saying, “The Secretary-General believes strongly that this is a critical juncture in which it is imperative for Egyptians to work together to chart a peaceful return to civilian control, constitutional order, and democratic governance.” Again, looking at lip services the international community has offered, Moon’s advice does not hold water. How will Egyptians work together while they don’t pull together? Is working together the solution if at all a democratic government can be easily toppled?

One thing many ignore is the fact that Egyptians are desperate after being ruled by corrupt and inept dictators for long. Such hungry population has lost commonsense. What it needs is food, regardless whether it is brought by devil or angel. And nobody can sufficiently supply food to such huge population facing economic and political upheavals.

Although the Muslim Brotherhood was accused of secretly trying to install a theocracy, it’s a sound mechanism with which to rule. When it comes to fragmented and weak opposition that desperately went to bed with the army to overthrow Morsi, it offers neither hope nor alternative. This being the real situation, the truth is: Egypt’s a long way to go. What we’re witnessing is but the beginning of a long, rough and complicated road ahead. Again, who’ll save Egypt from itself? Will the international community chip in or just stay aside and look as it is currently? Who wants to be blamed for somebody else’s mess in the first place?

When Morsi was toppled, many thought that the ‘fathers’ of democracy would stand with him and demand that he be reinstated. But nay, nobody dared to step in knowing how deeper, protracted and complicated Egypt’s situation is.

In a nutshell, however, the army in conjunction with revenging judiciary and confused opposition overthrew Morsi… this is not the end of the story. Soon the trio will find themselves in tug of war so as to start scheming against each other. Surely, after deposing Morsi, the army will follow next any soon from now.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“Is vengeance Banda’s way of forgiving?” ‏by Nkwazi Mhango

News that some senior ministers and former Mutharika’s inner circle were arraigned in Malawi answering for various charges, real and trampled on, yanked the country and the world at large. Authorities in Malawi recently arrested Professor Peter Mutharika (brother to the late former president, Bingu wa Mutharika and president of opposition party Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Patricia Kaliati (former minister of communication and civic education also government spokesperson), Goodall Gondwe (Minister of Economic Planning) and Bright Msaka (Chief Secretary) and other high profile officials in the country.

The above bigwigs were accused of, among others, plotting to overthrow the government after the death of Mutharika on 5^th April 2012. It came to light that the accused officials wanted to illegally install Peter Mutharika as President after the sudden demise of his brother, contrary to the Malawi constitution that stipulates that the Vice President shall assume power shall the President die or become incapacitated to run the business of the state. Whether what the accused committed or attempted to commit amounted to treason or not still remain to be seen. Again, why did it take almost a year to bring them to book? Why were some left in office for such a long time if there aren’t elements of vendetta and dirt games?

True, many legal minds are in limbo given that the alleged person who was supposed to be overthrown had since already died. It becomes legally untenable even if we consider the fact that the person whom they wanted to stop from taking over the office of President was then suspended. In law, this creates lacunae. For, even if the constitution stipulates that the Vice President will succeed the President in such eventuality, did Banda qualify? Banda was not President, therefore, not legally subject to be overthrown in any means. For, by then, Joyce Banda was neither President, nor Mutharika alive. Again, even the person they wanted to install (Mutharika) had no locus standi. In fact, if one legally examines the offence said to have been committed or attempted to be committed, one comes to the conclusion that the said case is likely to be politically motivated, aimed at either silencing those officials or intimidating them, especially when the question why its taking such a long time is addressed. This means: Mutharika was not there, for after a person dies everything stops. Cadaver nullius in bonis. A dead body is no one’s property. If this case goes on and suspects are convicted, Mutharika will become the first President to be overthrown posthumously. So too, Banda will become the first person against whom plot was made to overthrow without actually being President. This being the case, how then can one sue people for treason that would not be committed under the said circumstance even if we question the breach of allegiance to the sovereignty and the constitution? Will the Malawi judiciary accept such humiliation that will leave it in disrepute?

Looking at the vows Banda made on 7^th April 2012 when she was assuming power, that she would forgive those who wronged her so as to reconcile the nation, this recent move is going to affect national integrity, even unity so to speak. Banda emphasized forgiveness on 10 April 2012 when she was outlining her vision for Malawi. She was quoted as saying, “I made a statement for everybody to forgive each other and to demonstrate that I formed an all-inclusive Cabinet so that Malawians can see that I was serious when I [said] I will work with even those that persecuted me,” Now Malawians are asking themselves, is this the way of forgiving and working with those who persecuted Banda really? Does it mean that the good lady has easily and within a short time, forgotten her vows and promises? Former first lady Calista Mutharika has the answer. She was quoted as saying, “We are told that women leaders are better because women are empathetic, is this what we are seeing now? She (Ms Banda) goes on public podia preaching forgiveness, even quoting biblical verses, is there forgiveness here?”

Further, on the day Banda was assuming power, Xinhua quoted her as saying “I had a cabinet meeting with honorable ministers this afternoon and I want to let you all know here that the Holy Spirit descended upon us. To me this was very significant because that’s where we should begin from.” Again, is this the way the ‘holy spirit’ works? Banda also assured Malawians of running the government fairly. In her acceptance speech Banda said, “Mr. Speaker we seek to replace the society which in many ways has been brutal, exclusive and humiliating to our people.”

Those who heard Banda preaching reconciliation and forgiveness can’t believe that she’d embark on such gimmick-cum-gunk. This shows Banda in the bad light as a liar or an unreliable person, if not hypocritical. This is not good for a President who is faced with elections after lapsing her term in office. If anything, shall this go on, it tells of the hurdles head. If this is Banda’s take, it might wrongly be interpreted as her attempts to circumstantially create good ground for rigging come May 2014. For, what she’s doing does not help to nourish and nurture democracy in Malawi. What makes the charges leveled against the accused officials suspicious is the manner in which their case is dealt with. Interestingly, the government appointed two private lawyers to prosecute the case in lieu of the office of DPP. Does it mean Banda does not trust the office of DPP or is it just rent-seeking behaviour of awarding lucrative jobs to cronies and courtiers? Detractors see this as an opportunity for Banda’s cronies to rake money in through such deals. How can such vital case be prosecuted privately in the first place?

Malawi has been in economic ICU for long. Methinks Banda would use her stint in power to revamp the economy instead of pursuing personal interests by dividing the country. Again, is vengeance Banda’s way of forgiving? Who knows?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“Malema: How African youths are exploited by opportunists” ‏by Nkwazi Mhango

ANC’s former youth leader Julius Malema is a magnific example of the guy who fell from the grace disgracefully and quickly altogether. During his heyday, the name Malema sufficed to remove or put you behind the bar. As a youth wing leader, Malema was president in his own light. He had the ear and the mind of the president. Therefore, he was able to access preferential financial goodies simply because he was the cadre of ANC, South Africa’s ruling and bullying party so to speak.

Those who remember how instrumental Machiavellian Malema was in bringing down former President Thabo Mbeki are still baffled to see the mess Malema is currently in. Again, Malema created his downfall after thinking that he’d use Zuma, who used him to attain more power. For Malema it was simple. If unschooled Zuma would topple a literati like Mbeki, why not him (Malema) who is more educated than Zuma? Malema’s predicaments show how dirty African politics are especially when those behind it are ultra-opportunists and gullible. Who would expect Jacob Zuma to boot Malema out mercilessly and quickly like that? Media has it that Malema’s quickly and dubiously attained wealth is now quickly up for the grab after he’s implicated in tax evasion and presenting false documents to acquire loans from public financial institutions.

The secret is now open that Malema amassed wealth illegally thanks to being in the upper echelons of power. It came to light that Malema is now facing bankruptcy after evading tax at the tune of millions of Rand.

Like Cyrus Jirongo and William Ruto (Kenya), Charles Ble Goude (Ivory Coast who is now behind the bar), Emanuel Nchimbi (Tanzania current powerful minister who is oft-accused of acquiring fake degrees, but authorities never dealt with these allegations) and other youth leaders in the continent, Malema washed his hands and dined and wined with kings. Once this happens, someone becomes infallible and all his sins are shelved, till when he tries to be smart by stabbing or betraying his master.

All those mentioned former youth leaders are either influential in the politics in their countries, or have influential positions in the governments, or are richer than they were supposed to be, if not disgraced for those who happen to try to become free.

Being a youth leader, Malema a school dropout, became a force to be reckoned with due to the fact that he was the head of youths who make up a big chunk of the population in almost all African countries. Normally, shrewd African rulers use youths and women as their vehicles to get to power. They wisely know how these two groups are comprised of the majority of voters they need badly when the time comes. This is what happened when Jacob Zuma wanted to ousted Mbeki. By then Malema was among the high and mighty that no law could touch or handle adversely, until the time he fell out with Zuma.

Experience has shown that many shrewd politicians who aim at becoming president prefer to use illiterate, Machiavellian or semi-illiterate youth leaders to make it to the top as it was in the case of Malema. Now that Malema is in hot soup as he cascades down to political oblivion, he is left alone facing all types of problems real and manmade.

Sometimes youth leaders, as stooges of those who use them to do their dirty laundry, became aware of the dirty role they play so as to rebel. When this happens chances are that they end up being pulled down so as to disappear in oblivion as it happened in the case of Malema. Hadn’t Malema turned against his masters, all these woes Malema is in now would not have seen the light of the day. When they turned against their masters they had either to sink or float all depending on the results of this fallout. Ruto for example, was able to use former president Daniel arap Moi to reach where he now, while Malema was used by Zuma to end up in troubles just like Ble Goude who went under with his boss Laurent Gbgbo.

In a nutshell, Malema’s plight-cum-flight to the apogee and bottom of power in South Africa should act as an eye opener for African youths, especially the way they are used by corrupt and shrewd politicians and opportunists to achieve their goals, while they just exploit and dump youth just like eggshells.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“Reckless investment another disaster for Africa” by Nkwazi Mhango

This week I was musing about two historical colonial and imperiliastic atrocities which reminded me of the death of Chilean deomocratically-elected president, Salvador Allende (1973) and that of the first and democratically-elected PM of DRC, Patrice Lumumba (1961). Both leaders were toppled and killed by CIA.

Allende was killed by CIA just because he introduced what was known as Chileanization of the economy of his country. This meant: he had to empower Chileans to run their economy. By doing so, he was taking a morsel from the hands of foreigners especially American companies. To stop this, CIA brought one of its Americas school graduate Gen. Augusto Pinochet who ruined the country for many decades.

Another casualty of CIA machinations geared by greedy and exploitation of poor countries was Lumumba who was replaced by CIA agent Joseph Desire Mobutu, who, just like Pinochet, ruined DRC for decades. The involvement of CIA in the toppling of two leaders remained top secret for almost three decades. Many people did not know, and would not think, that CIA committed such sacrilegious acts on the democratic elected governments. Ironically, nobody would believe that the US could topple democratic governments and install dictatorial and kleptocratic regimes as it happened in two incedent above. This raised the question as to whether the US fights for democracy or it just uses democracy as pretext and cover to secure its hidden interests.

Along with Allende and Lumumba was Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala, who was overthrown in 1954 by CIA just because he wanted to buy back the land that was owned by an American company so as to give it back to his landless citizens. Albenz was replaced by Carlos Castillo who also ruined the country. American United Fruit Company (UFCO) owned vast tracts of land which was not cultivated. UFCO used to undervalue its land so as to pay low tax, something our current investors do. Therefore, when president Albenz wanted to buy the same uncultivated land, UFCO found that it’d suffer a big loss. So, it demanded more money than the value it had declared. When Albenz held his horses, CIA decided to dispose him to save an American Company.

The above three incidents remind me to write this as prediction of what is going to happen to Africa, shall currently myopic regime press on with their so-called investment geared by globalization. I can see Africa heading for the so-called economic coalition path with neo-colonialism based on economic exploitation. I am trying to apply history to show how it sometimes repeats itself especially, when those supposed to understand it well fail to do so. Africa, since independence, has been repeating the same mistakes. Our economies still depend on our former colonial masters. Black colonial masters have always been in power to serve white colonial masters. We’re but small and poor banana republics producing what we can’t consume and consuming what we don’t produce like hens. Who could believe that US used to give Mobutu over $1Bn annually to end up in imperialistic and parasitic banks in Switzerland? When it came to Mobutu, the US did not want any litany on democracy of accountability. Many American created dictators came and left without being reprimanded by the “champion” of democracy! Corrupt and kleptocratic regimes are in power in many African countries and US does not preach any democracy to them. Instead of singing democracy, the US is singing free trade and globalization.

Given that the era of dictatorship is gone, currently, the same imperilialist powers are using the so-called democratically elected leaders to ruin and exploit poor countries. In 1995-2005 Tanzania was under Benjamin Mkapa who did everything to see to it that he robbed all public investment. Mkapa offered all profitable firms to investers at a throwaway price. Since then, the country has been cascading to abject poverty despite producing gold in tons. This is but a single example which tells us that if Africa is to go on with the ongoing diabolic investment, chances are that landless Africans will resort into fighting for freedom afresh.

It is sad though to note that many African regimes have been singing the song of investment and globalization without any scientific, fair and safe preparations or measures in place. Many mineral and energy companies are landing multibillion investments in Africa without paying tax or investing in human development. It recently came to light that some corrupt government officials in Tanzania stashed over $ 300,000,000 in Swiss banks. All this money was deposited to the banks by corrupt foreign investors. What is evident in many African countries is the rise of antagonism between poor citizenry and foreign companies, which have much influence in the upper echelons of power due to the kickbacks they give to venal rulers. Human rights and the environment are gravely abused and the champion of democracy is just watching silently!

I am not trying to avoid sounding like a Luddite especially for those who would wrongly think I’m against investment. Omnishambolic and exploitative investment “no”… “yes” to fair and reasonable investment. Without taking a leaf from the above incidents, Africa is going to cascade even more into neo-colonialism. While rich countries are using their companies to rake billions of dollars from Africa in order to invest in their people. African greedy rulers are selling their people with their resources. We are not allowed even to subsidize our poor farmers or offer social services, especially welfare, as it is in rich countries. They don’t allow us to do this fearing that the prices of our produce will rise and therefore making it hard for rich countries to buy them at low and exploitative prices, as it has been going on since time immemorial.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“Why is MRC taking Kenya back to colonial past?” by Nkwazi Mhango

Although there have been much brouhahas and rumpus from Mombasa Republic Council (MRC), agitating for cessation from Kenya, the truth is what MRC is trying to do is treason. For nobody can declare a republic within a republic and fall short of committing treason. Therefore, legally speaking, MRC needs to be told to its face that what it is trying to do is treason and it is heavily punishable under any law of any land. This does not need to consult philosophies, philosophers and gurus in law. Thus, “Pwani si Kenya” or “Coastal is not Kenya”, suffices to land people in big troubles. If Coastal is not Kenya, what is it?

History is a good witness even though history repeats itself as it is this case, it does not favour MRC. MRC is not the first to try this even in Kenya itself. There were uprisings in Kenya which was known as Shifta Uprising in 1963-1967, in the then National Frontier District, whereby ethnic Somalis wanted to secede from Kenya. Despite its infancy then, the government of Kenya did not allow such a sacrilegious thing to happen.

Outside Kenya, Africa has witnessed such claims of seceding. Good news is that all secessionist groups ended up being thwarted except South Sudan and Eritrea whose cases are quite different from MRC’s. Even more so, after Shifta Uprising, Biafra secessionist movement under Chuku Emeka Ojukwu followed. It had the same slogan of the Republic of Biafra. This movement lived for a while before the government of Nigeria descended on it. Likewise, Cassamance in Senegal tried the same to no avail. Movement of Democratic Force of Cassamance (MDFC), just like Biafra and now MRC came with the same idea. Again, the government of Senegal did not fail to thwart and neutralize it. This is what Kenya should do with MRC if they cling unto their treasonous demands.

Verily, there can nary be Kenya without even an inch of Coastal or any province. More so Coastal Province cannot exist outside Kenya. Surprisingly though is the way Kenyan authorities are dealing with this treason. If they can revisit the law of the country, they will find that the only thing they can do with MRC is to charge its ringleaders forthwith. In essence, what is going on in Kenya reminds me what happened in Britain when King Charles I was beheaded for treason. If the king was beheaded, who are these roundheads and their retinues behind MRC? Charles said these words before his death, “For I do avow that it is as great a sin to withstand (he means resist) lawful authority as it is to submit to a tyrannical or any otherwise unlawful authority.”

Let’s look at what is giving MRC a big head. They are saying that Mombasa was not part of Kenya before independence. Well and good, Mombasa, just like Lamu, Malindi, Mogadishu, Pate, Pemba, Kilwa Sofala and Zanzibar were city states. This being the reality, it must be stated and understood that there was no the so-called Pwani, as we know it today under which MRC is basing its legitimacy. If we can follow this line of thinking, we can say that the Pwani, MRC is agitating for, surely does not exist outside Kenya. Pwani as a province was formed by the government of Kenya. If they use colonial legacy asserting that the City State of Mombasa was independent, it was not. For it was under the sultan of Zanzibar. Again, for the sake of enjoying what MRC wants and aspires to enjoy, Lamu and Malindi will claim the same in the near future. This is to say, suppose just suppose MRC succeeds, it should know that this is not the end of the game. After they are done with Kenya, they will turn to other people saying you are a Mkamba or Jaluo or whatnot. After that they will go for other people saying you are from Taveta, which is far from the Coast and what not.

Astonishingly, MRC does not get it that Kenya has had more than enough on its table. There is war against Al Shabaab and elections next year, not to mention the burden of Post Election Violence and ever surging tribalism. All these undertakings need a lot of money. Why doesn’t MRC see this? Does it think it can use this weakness to weaken Kenya? Of all said undertakings, Kenya can abort all of them to see to it that nobody is breaking the nation. If MRC wrongly thinks that Kenya will go bankrupt therefore give away its sovereign shall it flex its muscles, this is next to none.

If I could advice president Mwai Kibaki and MRC, I would strongly advise them to embark on legal procedures for MRC and upholding the constitution for Kibaki. What does Kenya’s new constitution stipulate about treason and secession? Let us use our reason well. The logic is simple. United we stand and divided we fall.

Although Kenyan authorities have been lenient, lax and polite enough to even think about holding talks with MRC, before this is done, MRC must recant its slogan of “Pwani si Kenya” and other injurious rhetorics. Failure to do this, MRC is facing a very bad start. Even though Kenya has more democratic rights than the then Jomo Kenyatta regime when it was faced with Shifta, still the government has the responsibility of keeping Kenya united, intact and one. This is the venue and sacred responsibility of any government. Therefore, existing democratic rights Kenyans enjoy in the New Constitution must be invoked through MRC filing its complaints to the court. This is the only and the surest way of addressing MRC’s grievances. Again, MRC must exist legally by being registered under the law of the land. Thus, up to this point, MRC is operating illegally and this is detrimental to its status and demands. Suffices to say: “Ya kale hayanuki.”

Why is MRC taking Kenya back to colonial past?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.