Africa, O! Africa

Africa, O! Africa

Mr Toastmaster , dear friends,

I am passionate about Africa!

Very few of us really know this truly remarkable continent on which we live. Africa has more than 650 million people, which is more than 20% of the world population, and growing at a staggering rate of 3% per year. 97% of those are indigenous people and only 1.3% are Westerners. There are more than 2000 different languages on the continent and more than 3000 ethno-linguistic groups of people. I doubt whether any other continent in the world has a greater diversity of people.

The potential of the continent is immense. The whole world knows about the astonishing bio-diversity on the continent. Nowhere else in the world will you find the treasures of wildlife as on the plains and in the tropical forests of Africa. The beauty of the continent for tourists is unsurpassed - to be compared with the best that any place in the world can offer. Even the deserts of Africa have their own unique fascination. Africa is a vast treasurehouse of precious minerals, and certain parts of the continent and continental shelf abound with rich oil reserves. Africa has a vast , untapped potential for agriculture. In many of the interior parts there is abundant rain and rich soils, that can sustain massive agricultural production. In the peoples themselves lay a great variety of rich cultural , historical, religious and artistic traditions.

But despite these wonderful opportunities, Africa is harsh towards its people. It is a sad continent of heartache and suffering. Africa is the poorest continent on earth, housing 32 of the 40 poorest countries in the world. Africa, delivers only 2% in terms of the global world economy, and is largely irrelevant in world terms. African lives are cheap in the eyes of the world, and even massacres, or vast exploitation of people or human suffering on a massive scale scarcely evoke reaction from the developed world. Africa has been scarred by wars and more than 10 wars are currently raging on the continent.

Even since the days of the slave trade, Africa is being exploited by outside parties. Untold millions of African people were captured and forcefully removed to other continents. During the colonial era untold riches of rubber and coffee and minerals were removed to the rich royal and merchant houses of Europe. Even today international companies exploit the continent on a massive scale. By buying favor with the local, and in many instances unrepresentative and self-enriching governments, these companies harvest the riches of Africa and siphons them off to other continents, with almost no returns going back to the people - or most of it landing up in the overseas bank accounts of corrupt rulers. To ensure their own safety these companies, and even some of the African rulers, have hired private security companies - and these, apart from the different armies and rebel movements are important factors in the African security equation. Add to that Africa’s more than average share of diseases (like malaria, aids and other tropical diseases), many environmental disasters, like floods and droughts, and you’ll be beginning to understand the heart of Africa.

Take for example the country of Angola with a population of about 11 million. Angola was a Portuguese colony for 450 years, and the country got its independence in 1975 after a prolonged typical African bushwar of 15 years which ruined the country. After some political egg-dancing the government was handed over to the Marxist MPLA party.Affter an unsuccessful multi-party election a bloody civil warerupted that has been raging for more than 30 years now. The country’s people are desperately poor and between 2 and 3 million are permanently displaced due to the war. The country’s infrastructure is virtually nonexisting, except for in the few coastal cities controlled by the government. The country is infested by millions of abandoned landmines, a scourge that will keep on maiming and killing innocent people long after the war have passed away. In the north you have the extremely oil-rich province of Cabinda that supplies oil to the Western world, and the revenue which keeps the MPLA government in power. In the North Western part of the country are the extremely rich diamond fields controlled by the rival UNITA organisation, and which keeps his war machine running. These so-called ‘blood diamonds’ has become a huge emotional issue in the world today. The effect of all this is that the people of the land suffers immensely - those unpretencious peasents whose only aspiration is to be able to live a decent life.

This continent is our home. Her challenges are immense. It is no wonder that many have abandoned hope and left for the safer shores of other continents. For some Africa is seen to be beyond redemption. But not so for those of us who have been taken from Africa’s soil, and who has Africa’s wide open spaces and fierce sun in our spirits. That is why our President, Mr Mbeki is championing the vision of African Rennaissance. Though perhaps a lone voice in the wilderness, this voice may call the sleepng giant to rise - and what a resurrection that will be!

Many, many years ago there was a man who perhaps understood something about African renaissance. He was a Xhosa teacher at a Methodist mission station in Johannesburg whose name was Enoch Sontongs. He was a poet who wrote many songs, most of which were sad because he saw the grief and hardship of his people. In 1897 he wrote a song for his pupils and he wrote:

Lord Bless Africa;

May her horn rise up;

Hear Thou our prayers and bless us

Chorus:

Descent O Spirit

Descent O Holy Spirit

Bless our Chiefs

May they remember their Creator

Fear him and revere Him,

That He may bless them

Bless the public men

Bless also the youth

That they may carry the land with patience

And that Thou might bless them

Bless the wives

And also the young women

Lift up all the young girls

And bless them

Bless the ministers

Of all the churches of this land

Endue them with Thy Spirit

And bless them

Bless agriculture and stock raising

Banish all famine and diseases

Fill the land with good health

And bless it

Bless our efforts

Of union and self-uplift

Of education and mutual understanding

And bless them

Lord bless Africa

Blot out all its wickedness

And its transgressions and sins

And bless it

Mr Toastmaster!