A Bond That Must Never Be Broken (1)

The author expresses profound revulsion towards racist statements made by P.W. Botha, former President of apartheid South Africa, in 1988. Botha asserted that Black people were incapable of self-rule, predicting they would descend into violence, corruption, and tribal conflict if given power or independence.

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Black people cannot rule themselves because they don’t have the brain and mental capacity to govern a society. Give them guns, they will kill themselves. Give them power, they will steal all the government money. Give them independence and democracy, they will use it to promote tribalism, ethnicity, bigotry, hatred, killings, and wars!

These remarks, which the author encountered 33 years ago, are described as deeply offensive and dehumanizing. The author argues that such racist ideologies seek to negate African identity and falsely portray Black Africans as inherently unfit to govern. This perspective fuels a strong sense of obligation to prove such notions wrong through successful governance across the continent.

Failure to govern effectively in post-apartheid South Africa, Nigeria, or elsewhere in Africa, the author contends, would lend credence to Botha's racist narrative. This underscores the critical importance of achieving good governance and fostering unity among African nations. The author invokes the spirit of Pan-Africanism, urging solidarity and mutual support to overcome internal differences and demonstrate collective capability.

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This is a narrative that we as Africans must NEVER give legitimacy or credence to by our words and actions or allow to stand.

Using a striking metaphor, the author likens the map of Africa to a pistol, with Nigeria as the trigger and South Africa at the muzzle. For this "weapon" to be effective in the global arena, these key components must function in unison. Division or discord between them would render the continent impotent, reducing it to a mere relic or worthless scrap, unable to navigate the challenges of the modern world. The piece concludes by emphasizing that love, peace, understanding, unity, and solidarity are essential for guaranteeing Africa's collective future.

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Ours is to love one another, work together, help and encourage each other, resolve whatever differences we have and acknowledge the fact that our collective interest and future resides in and can only be guaranteed by love, peace, understanding, unity and solidarity between all of the 54 nations that make up the African continent.