Storm of Change - Lessons for Africa

 All are presently given to concentrate on COVID-19 infection. This global blanket is serving various roles and is understood in various ways while a variety of conclusions are drawn by different peoples. The implications are huge at a critical juncture of the world mostly in the Global South.

Old epistemologies have become irrelevant, new approaches are constructed while indigenous solutions are gradually standing up against the barrage of pressures.

The world geopolitical fault lines have sharpened for the next generation. Washington consensus have shrunk to the North American shark and European supplicants. The continued weakening of Europe is reassuring. The rest of its global footprint is imposed with direct and proxy violent offensive. In a sense, a renewed scramble for precious resources beneath their populations.

Russia in the last 2 decades have consolidated her interest in very innovative ways that irreversibly locked Europe and her near-abroad in a strategic stronghold. Her weapons programme is growing by leaps and bounds. To the uninitiated Moscow is not wealthy, while she’s the only country that is building and deploying the most advanced nuclear-powered stealth submarines. Instead of wasting resources on aircraft carriers, strategic weapon-carrying corvettes are deployed with target ranges of 3000km. S-400 air-defence system is already causing mayhem in NATO since Turkey purchased them.

Asia is long gone beyond the total dominance of western powers. Beijing is spearheading a consolidating reality at a speed that her opponents can only be grateful to reflect on.

In West Asia even Gaza Strip is showing active deterrence to an overwhelming force. Tel Aviv seem to be uncertain about her adherence to strategic ambiguity. Her military superiority is chipped away by new technologies held by her adversaries. Washington is rapidly drawing down in the Arabian peninsula and Afghanistan. She left Lebanon in a hurry 1982.

Africa is in a stalemate. This is aptly captured by the recent passing of a hero, President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. He was one of the few who understood like President Kwame Nkrumah, that the independence of one country is useless unless the rest of Africa is unchained. He coordinated with brother African heads of government, USSR, Cuba and China. He invested resources for the liberation of Mozambique via Samora Machel (Frelimo), Angola (MPLA), Namibia (SWAPO), Zimbabwe (ZANU/ZAPU) and South Africa (ANC/PAC/etc). He also presciently foresaw the devastation of HIV on the continent.

The main liberation of the mind continues to elude Africa. West African shatterbelt is reeling from a programmed conflict triggered by Ghaddafi’s removal. A proxy conflict for the appropriation of scarce natural resources is ongoing. You can draw your own conclusions on the so-called anti-terror, anti-bandit and anti-militant strategies by western powers. Paris is not leaving Africa and is committed to giving all to keep her stake. President Jacques Chirac said that France doesn’t exist without a supplicant Africa.

Now, South America is regaining her dignity in the last few decades. Her conquest of her mind with appropriate epistemologies imbued with indigenous knowledge systems is redefining her image. Cuba is the first non-power to develop COVID-19 vaccine, followed by Iran. The arrival of South America on modern stage is summarised by events in Venezuela. In Hugo Chavez, the marginalised finally took power. The plebes, hewers of wood, drawers of water and wretched of the earth embraced power through the ballot box and held it. Regardless of pressure, sanctions, afflictions, deprivation and suffering; the collective dignity of people’s across the continent have secured a solid reference.

Outsiders will never understand, the Western-oriented cannot appreciate the groundswell of intergenerational convergence of struggle with opportunity. In this documentary, important conclusions can be drawn especially by the African.