Africans Have Sold Their Souls: Uhumwe the One Big Idea for Africa

By Ben C Chiganze

For how long should Africa continue to be associated with hunger, poverty, desperation, corruption, and mediocrity? For how long will Africa’s natural endowments continue to be viewed as a curse instead of a blessing? When are our children going to put on new clothes instead of relying on second-hand clothes? When are we going to stop seeking handouts from other nations as if they owe us a living? Have we voluntarily agreed to be a laughing stock for the whole world? Have we and our unborn accepted to be labelled ‘third world’ forever?

It is time for African leaders to deliver their populace to the Promised Land through diligence and hard work. Africa needs to rise above the borders and boundaries, which were constructed by the Berlin Conference of 1884, and create a new society which is grounded in its rich cultural soils.

It is time we start showcasing to the world our rich cultural heritage. We need to innovate our products and services along with our cultural dexterity. The author proposes a set of solutions to these deep-seated and systemic problems. These solutions are rooted in the concept of Uhumwe, or ‘togetherness’, which he believes will provide both a strength of belief, and a concept which can help African business leaders, innovators, politicians, and others in realising the dream of prosperity for Africa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jul 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398485228

Ben C Chiganze

Ben C Chiganze, PhD, is a prolific writer and self-made successful businessman who sits on a number of Boards in Zimbabwe. Ben is the last born in a family of six children whose father was a teacher in rural schools. His father’s rural home is in Gandiya village, Rukweza in Makoni district in the eastern part of Zimbabwe where he grew up. He is therefore deeply rooted in the Shona culture, hence his motivation to write this book. He grew up during the colonial era in the then Southern Rhodesia where he experienced and lived a life of deprivation caused by inequalities in the system created deliberately by the whites who were the dominant race.

Book preview

About the Author

Ben C Chiganze, PhD, is a prolific writer and self-made successful businessman who sits on a number of Boards in Zimbabwe. Ben is the last born in a family of six children whose father was a teacher in rural schools. His father’s rural home is in Gandiya village, Rukweza in Makoni district in the eastern part of Zimbabwe where he grew up. He is therefore deeply rooted in the Shona culture, hence his motivation to write this book. He grew up during the colonial era in the then Southern Rhodesia where he experienced and lived a life of deprivation caused by inequalities in the system created deliberately by the whites who were the dominant race.

Dedication

Fortune Kumponda

Indeed you were a God sent Angel to me. You gave your all to make me succeed. You enabled me to cross the deserts and navigate difficult terrains in my life. Above all you taught me to give without expecting anything in return. You taught me to be a true African. What was good for me was also important in your eyes. You were a living testimony of people who put the lives of others first before they considered theirs. This is one of your collaborative projects which you did not live long enough to see the completion. You were a true blessing to me. Wherever you are, I will always remember to love your family as much as I cared for you. Rest in peace my Enabler.

Copyright Information ©

Ben C Chiganze 2023

The right of Ben C Chiganze to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s alone.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398485211 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398485228 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

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Acknowledgement

Rumbidzai, Makanaka, Iwainesu and Makatendeka.

I always count on your invaluable support.

Mbuya ‘Doug’ Beneta Chiganze.

You always continue to inspire me.

Takawira Masanza

Your knowledge of African wisdom is unparalleled. Thank you for sharing what you know with me instead of keeping it to yourself.

Simba Dodzo

Your words ‘what you are writing makes sense’ gave me the strength to carry out this project knowing that some people can buy in to what I write.

Orien Mendes

You have an incredible ability to give me new insights every time you read my work. Your guidance is truly inspiring and mind provoking. Thank you for being there for me.

Dr Chidara Muchineripi

You guided me with ideas and suggestions throughout this project. Your technical touch gave a cutting edge to this project. Thank you for investing your precious time in nurturing me to be a true ‘Son of the Soil.’

Aeneas Chigwedere

Your work inspired me. Your deep desire to rewrite the African history and culture makes you one of the shining stars in my life. I am also humbly honoured to have received your last research paper before you were promoted to Glory. I will forever be grateful to your son Casper Chigwedere who authorised me to put your research on Hutus and Tutsis as an attachment to this project. May your soul rest in eternal peace.

Isaac Zulu

You were always there for me. Your guidance is invaluable. Ever smiling when correcting me where I am wrong. You always succeeded in making my burdens lighter.

Lawrence Kamwendo Mutambanengwe

Thank you for your invaluable insights and guidance. You were always ready to give constructive criticism which refocused my thinking during this project.

Preface

Several things motivated Ben Chiganze when he decided to write this book but the most important reason is his strong belief in his being an African and that he is a person deeply rooted in his African culture. There are a few books if any written that I know of dealing with the topic. The book is also very well thought out and it is thought provoking.

They have sold their souls or better still as a fellow black person we have sold our souls as black people. Indeed, black people have sold their soul to foreign cultures. African leadership and its citizens have deliberately avoided to use their rich past patrimony to inform their present circumstances. The writer has been motivated to write this very well researched book apart from other things by his intense interest in understanding the black man’s behaviour and culture and its role in shaping our day to day interactions with people of different cultures especially those of European origin.

Ben Chiganze is saddened by observing that Africans have willingly accepted the tags of ‘backwardness, poverty, corruption and desperation’ as the new and permanent ‘norms’ for Africa.

Ben Chiganze’s argument is that the Africans have now adopted the whiteman’s culture which they consider to be superior to their own, yet the African culture is so rich thus they have sold their souls. The majority of Africans do not know who they are or where they are coming from because their current cultural disposition is neither that of Africans nor that of the white men. They are floating in between cultures which has created serious imbalances in their political, economic and social systems. This has led to under development, conflicts and lack of cohesion in most independent African states.

His rural background has in a big way shaped his world views about the need to refine our African culture and use it as a source of social and economic innovation. He firmly believes that a return to their cultural bedrock (with minor modifications from other cultures) will enable Africans to realise their dream of ‘milk and honey’ in the promised land. It is still possible for Africans to enjoy the goodness of their land provided that they ground themselves in their correct cultural soils.

The book reminds you that often at times people look for solutions elsewhere instead of within themselves. He subtly encourages Africans to trust each other, learn from each other and humbly fuse their local knowledge with knowledge from foreign cultures. He advocates for African people to innovate along their cultural lines instead of burying our culture together with its positive attributes.

There is no doubt that Ben Chiganze has advanced solutions that will go a long way in achieving the African dream of achieving good life for its citizens, African renaissance, building sustainable institutions, social, political and economic revitalisation and rejuvenation. This ideal can be achieved though it is not going to be an easy path to realise it.

Other writers that I know of such as Beach, and others have not written about this particular topic. He deliberately demonstrated that Africa is not short of wisdom but weak on implementing what it knows.

This book can be used by those studying anthropology, sociology, Business Management and business people who may want to understand the behaviour of the black people in Southern Africa in particular and the whole of Africa in general. This book can also be useful to those doing research at PhD and other advanced levels. It can also be used in countries where race issues are very topical such as United States of America.

I am sure the readers will find this book not only fascinating to read but will help them understand why the writer believes that Africans have sold their souls.

Dr Paul Chidhara Muchineripi (PhD).

Chapter 1

Overview of African Challenges

Introduction

I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage and therefore I propose that we replace her old and ancient educational system, her culture, for if the Africans think all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.

—Lord Macaulay’s Address to the British Parliament on 2 February 1835

When are we going to be singing a new song of victory? When are we going to be talking about wealth creation instead of poverty alleviation? When are we going to stop extending our begging bowls to the world as if they owe us a living? When are our children and grandchildren going to put on new clothes instead of second hand clothes (mabhero, mazitye, salaula) When is our dignity coming back to Africa? (Mumba,1997) How are our various religious affiliations going to emerge from their self-serving selfish agendas to being forums for self-discovery, innovation and regeneration? When are we going to start thinking for ourselves?

Who is going to listen to us, when we talk, if we continue in this hopeless trajectory? How are we going to make other nations believe us when we do not believe in ourselves and in everything that is African?

Africans have been identified as Amacimbi (mopane worms/catepillars) for a long time. It has been estimated that over 1300 Africans were perishing annually from 2014 to 2019 on the African continent ’even before they embark ’on the perilous sea journeys to Europe or on the Arabian Peninsula (https://www.iom.int>news-over-7400-deaths-onmigration). More than 20000 people have died while crossing Mediterranean Sea since 2014 (IOM,2020). The highest percentage of these death are people of African origin. A sizable number has disappeared (unexplained) while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in the hope of being economic refugees in Europe. Our people are perishing in search of good life in Europe after realising that their hopes of good life after attaining independence from colonialists is now just a mirage. For how long are our brothers and sisters going to perish in an undignified manner in these dangerous journeys in search of perceived ’good life in Europe? When is dignity going to come back to our people?

Yes, we have willingly accepted an amacimbi (mopane worms/caterpillar) tag. The amacimbi is associated with people who ‘eat, eat and eat.’ without production. When are we going to become a bread basket of the world?

The cry for our beloved Africa is always sempiternal, and it does not appear to be ceasing in the near future until, we come to terms with the chemistry that binds us together. Lamenting without understanding why we are always on the receiving end is like adding more logs to the fire, while attempting to relieve the burning pot, from further damage.

Benjamin (2014) opines that we seem to lose those ways and methods which worked well in the past to motivate people and mould better societies and organisations. Hence we find ourselves to be always on the receiving end. Thus welling up of tears on eyelids is always a permanent feature on most African faces.

For a long time we have willingly persecuted everything that is African without analysing. We hate our ancestors, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives, our past, our culture, our languages and customs. We love everything that is European/Caucasian, even if it does not augur well with African set-ups. When are we going to witness our own Damascene moments?

The Chinese love their culture, Indians adore their culture, Europeans boast about who they are. Collectively these people have innovated their offerings to the world along their cultural lines. On the other hand we have embraced ‘everything Western’ to the extent of eclipsing everything that is African. When are we going to be convinced that social innovation along our African cultural values not ‘miracles’ is the currency in the future marketplace?

How Can We Learn to Wipe Tears from Our Faces?

Though we claim to be educated, we do not seem to understand that it is possible to live a life which is free from suffering, deprivation, hunger, thirsty, disease, despair, begging and corruption. The education we receive seems to create anxiety and desperation instead of opportunities and creativity.

Maybe it’s high time we ask ourselves these hard questions. What type of learning are we exposed to? Are we a learning people? Do we learn from each other?

Learning without understanding what education can solve for us is like leaving high school with flying colours after only mastering exam techniques without acquiring knowledge. Currently most African countries are churning out thousands of educated robots who cannot solve the burning issues of the day. For instance, we have Universities which are churning out Doctors in political science but we still have challenges with the politics of Africa. One friend of mine says Africa is producing students who have up to 30 points at advanced level studies in science (suggestive indication of wiz-kids) but these students are still contend with using ox drone ploughs in this day and era. Sedze (2019) opines that ‘instead of raising neurotics, who memorise facts and theories, it is more valuable to teach capacity to challenge theories and search for new universal truths.’

For a long time Africa has produced Western informed graduates who are struggling to come to terms with who they are, where they are coming from and where they are going. Mararike (1998) correctly says that ’takadyiswa’ (poisoning of the body, mind and soul).

Mararike (1993) contends that this process will continue to impact negatively in our worldviews, and in the way we make our decisions and this needs to be reversed using a process known as ‘kurutsiswa’ (cleansing of the body, mind and soul) for us to be in the correct frame of mind and spirit (Mararike, 1998:93). If the process of kurutsiswa does not happen soon, we will continue to go to great length trying to imitate sometimes ’dangerous to our lives’ Western technologies (Mutambara, 2019) which are not underpinned by our African values.

There is also a serious confusion on what constitutes development in Africa. Is it growth in Gross Domestic Product GDP)? Is it high per capita income? Is it modernity along Western development path? Is it development of the mind and culture? For the sake of this book development must serve five interconnected freedoms namely economic opportunities, political freedoms, social freedoms, transparency and protective security (Sen,1999). This implies that complete development attends to economic, social, political and cultural progress.

Nevertheless, Africa’s progressive trajectory has always focussed on trying very hard to be like Western and Northern countries but that has been met with very limited success. Ayittey (2005) explains why Africa is littered with carcasses of these failed alien development systems. He submits that most newly independent states spurned indigenous African endowments and introduced one party state with socialism as its main economic ideology. Resultantly agriculture which was a backbone for ‘Atingos’ (Africans) such as Senegal, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia was neglected in favour of industrialisation. Pioneers of African liberation movements such as Kwame Nkrumah considered agriculture and its primary activities to be too, ’backward’ and the peasant farmers were atrophied because they were thought to be ‘too slow to adapt to change, or to change their practices to modern, mechanised methods.’

West Africa’s food situation has been negatively affected by the current Ukraine and Russia war (in 2022). This has resulted in widespread food shortages because they had substituted home based agriculture with food imports from Ukraine.

For Ayittey (2005) Africa adopted the following systems of governance after independence.

Socialism was adopted by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana (Conscienticism), Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia (Humanism), Leopold Senghor of Senegal (Negritude), Sekou Toure of Guinea (Marxism with African clothes), Modiga Keita of Mali, Nasser of Egypt, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (Ujamaa).

Political Pragmatism was an ideology based on state entrepreneurship responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and creating a climate conducive for material advancement. This was adopted by Houphouet Boigny of Ivory Coast, Hastings Banda of Malawi, and Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya.

Military Nationalism was adopted by Idi Amin of Uganda and Mobuto Sese Seko of Zaire.

Afro-Marxism entails that the economy destiny of the country will be a refuge to the State. This political and economic system was adopted by Angola, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

In order for the Elite African leaders to buttress their influence and egos, they in most cases, adopted a ‘development by imitation’ model in their industrialisation endeavour. This was implemented according to Ayittey in none ‘participatory’ nor ‘organic’ manner which was against the African tradition of consensus through village council meetings or village assembly (for instance Kgotlas in Botswana and other similar assemblies in Africa) (Ayittey, 2005).

This is supported by Nkomo (1988) who argues that the adoption of European/ Western model of democracy as an ideology for good governance has also caused more challenges and distress in most parts of Africa because this ideology has not grown organically in African systems of governance. Nkomo (1998) remarks that ‘Some people believe that African society has, in the name of democracy, disowned itself and its identity, by imposing on itself a new and perhaps foreign identity that it cannot sustain.’

This has created a serious imbalance in our social, economic and political setups. Nowhere, world over, has anyone succeeded in being a good dancer by dancing to rhythms he or she is not familiar with. We have our own rhythms which manifest as culture, ethos and rich traditions which we do not respect or appreciate and have deliberately chosen to ignore or denigrate. This explains why we have constant civil wars, low per capita income, low productivity, balance of payment deficits, shortage of foreign currency and generally low economic performance.

These ‘foreign solutions’ seem to be leading us to the endless pit of poverty, self-pity and self-destruction. The list of negative results of dancing to the wrong rhythms, is endless.

African narrative is one of failure, hopelessness, poverty, anarchy and underachieving despite being richly endowed with abundant natural resources. Our natural resources appear to be a curse instead of, a blessing as they are often a source of conflict, tribal wars and general strife. Our abundant natural resources such as gold, platinum, diamond, lithium, copper, and oil seem to have disempowered us instead of empowering us. What has Nigeria to show for its rich vast oil resources, Democratic Republic of Congo for its diamonds and copper, Angola for its oil, Liberia for its natural rubber, the list is endless.

It is sad to note that our rich mineral resources endowments have been a source of conflicts and tribal wars since time immemorial. Countries such as Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo have no peace because of these minerals. These rich mineral endowments have turned into a curse in these countries in particular and Africa in general.

Most African leaders believe rhetoric without action is going to take us out of this mud. Grandstanding by our leaders at world economic forums and United Nations has not yielded any positive results to date. Yes, Presidents such as the late Robert Mugabe were very good at verbal gymnastics but was not able to cage influential world leaders particularly from the West and North to dance to his over-elaborate songs.

We seem to be regressing instead of progressing. We seem to be comfortable with our falling stance instead of balancing our body, legs and mind together. We seem to be following the shadows of someone who died long time ago. We are in perpetual daydreaming episodes which seem to evade the reality of our situation.

Africans are content with accepting the ‘unthinking’ tag that our previous colonisers have placed on us. Jan Smuts denigrates Africans in South Africa as the unthinking lots by saying-

This type (African) has largely remained a child type with a child psychology and outlook. Wine, women and song in their African forms remain the great consolations of life. No indigenous religion has been evolved, no literature, no art since the magnificent promise of the cave-men and the South African petroglyphs, no architecture since Great Zimbabwe (if that is African). These children of nature have no inner toughness and persistence of the European (Smuts in Ranger, 1967:3).

This negative view about African people and African culture is also supported by Father Biehler, who was a missionary in Zimbabwe around 1897. Although Lord Grey disagreed with the ’man of the cloth’s recommendations. He observes that, Father Biehler was so convinced of the hopelessness of regenerating the Mashonas whom he regards as the most hopeless of mankind (Grey in Ranger, 1967:3). The good missionary is further quoted suggesting that the only chance for the race lies in killing the whole tribe of both male and female Mashonas who are 14 years and above (Grey in Ranger 1967).

We are failing to move forward not because Father Biehler and Jan Smuts denigrated Africans. We have also willingly embraced the ‘loser’ tag these Westerners have placed on us. Other nations are progressing and developing in this millennial. A case in mind is the Chinese and the Indians. Though these nations were colonised before, they have maintained their identity and culture. Their cultures seem to have assisted them in building cohesion and refocused these nations in a desired destination. Unlike Chinese and Indians, Africans have lost their centre of power which is their culture. We seem to fail to comprehend that culture is the vital cog that turns the wheel of innovation.

We seem to focus on developing ‘things’ but not the man (total human being) (Harrison, 1980:41). Anything that has European origins fascinates us more than things that originate from our culture.

Progressive European countries who some African states want to imitate, have to a large extent secured collection of their cultural and traditional practices. They have blended them with modern constitution and legal statutes to ensure economic and social progress (Froloz, 1989). Countries that come to mind are Britain (with its Royal family), Netherlands, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg among other countries.

Some developed countries for Ayittey, such as Japan did not need to become ‘Americanised’ or ‘Sovietised’ in order to develop. Instead Africans need to be developed from their own grassroots level using what he referred to as the Atunga model. Atunga model emphasises leveraging on indigenous African endowments and indigenous knowledge systems using our own native institutions. This entails developing our peasant way of life with a view to make them more productive and more efficient (Ayittey, 2005).

In fact, Benin’s Hountondi, arguably the greatest African philosopher of our time points out that, countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa, find themselves far from the centre of knowledge power because they have cut themselves from their own knowledge commons and that of others. This implies that Zimbabwe and South Africa are in the middle of nowhere. They have rejected their own indigenous knowledge systems and they also have not fully comprehended the foreign knowledge systems. This creates a serious imbalance in their worldviews (Hountondi, 1994).

Moreover our ‘elite’ leaders have not been spared in rejecting everything that is seen to be ‘African.’ They are victims of xenocentrism.

It appears their struggle against colonialism was not based on replacing or changing the system with a new Afrocentric system but they were fighting to be included in the system.

Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda opened the Kamuzu Academy school in Mtunthama which is 150 kilometres from Lilongwe in 1981. It was referred to as the ‘Eton of Africa.’ Carroll (2002) questioned whether this academy was a ‘beacon of excellence: or a, ’wasteful parody of Englishness.’ Nevertheless it was mandated to model ‘most gifted children with classical education worthy of Plato’ (Carroll,2002). Thus three best students from every district in Malawi were enrolled for free education at this prestigious school. Not surprisingly its compulsory subjects were Latin and Greek and none of the local languages or Malawian history were included on the curriculum of the school. The teachers were strictly recruited from United Kingdom until Dr Banda passed on. Though some Malawians were qualified to teach at this college, they were not given the opportunity as this was considered to lower the standards of this prestigious school. Sometimes Africans struggle to appreciate people with the same skin pigmentation and culture as theirs.

Samora Machel’s message to the conference of the department of culture demonstrates how his party disrespected their own culture. He says that traditional culture is based on ‘a series of forces of supernatural origin’ and must just be seen as ‘superstition that occupies the place of science’ (Mazula; 1995:135)

Again in 1970 Frelimo’s department of education opines that they were committed to building ’New Man (human being), with a clear consciousness of the force of his (and her) intelligence and his (sic) power to transform society and nature through his labour; to a new man, free of subjective and superstitious ideas. and to the creation and development of) a scientific attitude, open, and free from the weights of superstition and traditional dogmatism: (This will be done) in order to implant an advanced and prosperous economy (Mazula, 1995:111).

After attainment of independence from their colonial Masters, most African leaders deliberately or unknowingly copied and pasted their imperialists methods of strong government control, state power, state planning and ignored the role of private sector and local cultures in achieving development and modernisation of their economies