I recognise that we were colonised before and our neo-colonial structural arrangements, institutions and relationship are largely responsible for our present predicaments. But there are countries that were equally colonised and less endowed in human and material resources that have done much better than us. Are we fools? Don’t we have eyes to see how they did it? Why do we always seek excuses for our self-imposed limitations? Were we the only ones colonised? How long ago did we become politically independent? Why can’t we use political power to restructure the society and become a better society? Is our experience responsible for ethnic and religious massacres? Is it responsible for criminal corruption at all levels? It is the cause of violence, election rigging, lack of internal democracy in parties, the neglect of roads and education, inability to fix the power and health sectors, and general disregard for truth, justice and fair play?
Is neo-colonialism responsible for the political rascality amongst the elites, disregard for the constitution, bureaucratic inefficiency, waste, plan indiscipline, the arrogance of power, and the general celebration of corrupt persons in our society?
Is our history responsible for the failure of our refineries, high cost of living, children hawking on the streets, distorted housing policy, millions of our people living in slums, armed robbery, high infant and maternal mortality rates, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and lack of a serious policy on the girl-child? Is neo-colonialism the reason why religion has become more of a business and the media finds it impossible to be consistent in their modus operandi? The list of our failings is endless. Even if we inherited certain distortions almost 50 years ago, if by now we have not found viable, consistent and visible ways of dealing with them, then we must declare a failure. As a teacher, I cannot declare a student that has consistently failed to score even 40%; a good or successful student. We continue to experiment- indigenisation, privatisation, stabilisation, structural adjustment, war against indiscipline, operation feed the nation, new states, new capital, new uniforms for the police, new anthem, new constitution, development plans, rolling plans, reform agenda, new breed politicians, military rule, parliamentary and presidential systems, return to old breed politicians, constitutional reform, and 7-Point Agenda just to name a few. No nation makes it with a left, right, right, left, centre, back, forward, roundabout, sit, stand, run and stop policy almost at the same time!
Julius Ihonvbere.com
Where Theory Meets Praxis