HAS NEOCOLONIALISM CONTRIBUTED IN MAKING US DISTRUST OUR LEADERS WHETHER GOOD OR BAD?

All languages and cultures have proverbs about leadership. One from Madagascar says: “When leaders are wise, so are the people.”  

Good leadership is the most needed element in Africa today. Not only are our leaders mistrusted, they are either despots or total fools; a nice one is considered manna from heaven. Think of those who resigned peacefully like Leopold Senghor of Senegal, Mwalimu Nyerere and Mzee Mandela who represent African substance, humility, joy, wisdom.

A demo against Arms trade. Pic courtsey of Haki Ngowi Blog

During these past 500 years, history has seen our mysterious, rich continent being turned into a lucrative playing ground for foreign powers. Mandela’s South Africa was under whites for 400 years. Back then only ten percent of the population ruled 80% majority non whites. When Madiba left jail twenty years ago, we expected sweet revenge. It had happened in Mozambique in 1975, so why not? However, being the unique leader that he was and surrounded by spiritual geniuses like Bishop Desmond Tutu, he chose truth and reconciliation. Mandela aimed to heal rather than antagonise the four centuries scar.

THE MOTHER AND A SON WITH A NAME THAT SOUNDED LIKE OSAMA BIN LADEN’S...

When I watched Sky News announcing death of “head of the snake of terror” (as one presenter put it) during the early hours of Monday I remembered two sensitive stories ten years ago. It was after September Eleven and the whole world was still in shock; nearly 3,000 dead in New York including the 19 hijackers. Few moments after one of this (most publicised) event in history a man wearing a turban targeted by an angry mob in the USA was badly beaten up. Mistaken for a Taliban activist he was in fact, a Sikh. 



Since then various Sikhs have been assaulted randomly in various cities of the USA. While these attacks have more to do with ignorance and racism we all know it has a psychological connection to Al Qaeda and the man who was killed by US military forces early this week.
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