When Libya fell and Colonel Muammar Gaddafi murdered, most African leaders spoke about how the continent should have saved the situation instead of allowing it to deteriorate.
There is no doubt that even today with the chaos and the ongoing uncertainty in Libya, Africa is looking back in regret over what should have been resolved the African way.
Over the years, this has been one of Africa’s greatest weaknesses – disunity.
In an informal sequel to his narrative, “Two Thousand Seasons” – “Healers”, Ayi Lwei Armah illustrates how it is easy for Africa to be divided and ruled; to be turned against each other and be controlled; to be lulled into false security and be cheated; and to be made to waste precious time engaged in useless issues while those who control them are busy exploited.
“Healers” is a simple story that unfolds in the nineteenth century when colonialism came to Africa.
Struggles for the control of land break out between the colonialists and the locals in general but it’s the story about Densu in particular.
The war is between the Asantes and the colonialists as well as the Fantes. It’s a war over land.
There is also a parallel story where Densu is framed for the murder of the heir apparent to the Essuano throne.
Ababio does the framing after he fails to push Densu fight for the crown.
Densu does not act according to Ababio’s orders because his eyes are set on becoming a healer as Damfo, the healer’s intern.
Damfo and his daughter, Ajo, live in the Eastern Forest. The healers are seen as protectors.
While all this is going on, at the Cape Coast, the colonialists are using unscrupulous chiefs whom they sweet-talk into surrendering young men as conscripts for the war against the Asantes.
Eleven chiefs ‑ Dahomey, Hausas, Ada, Ga, Aneho, Akim, Ekuapem, Kru, Temne, Mande and Sussu – all give men who fight and defeat the Asantes.
These chiefs are bribed with clothes, whiskey, sugar, wine and various other non-essential stuff to cause disunity among themselves and sell their own.
This also makes Africans aware of the tribal differences among themselves thereby exacerbating conflicts on the continent while foreigners are busy looting.
When the Asantes are defeated, they turn their anger against the healers, accusing them of betrayal.
So rewind to 2012, and ask yourself whether there has been any change in the modus operandi of the colonialists.
Let’s go to Malawi.
Joyce Banda plays against the whole African team for what she says is for the benefit of her nation.
She is not the first one though regarding Malawi.
The mighty Kamuzu Banda too never had anything to do with southern Africa, opting to work with apartheid South Africa when that regime was under sanctions.
While other leaders were helping free the region, Banda was busy shutting his borders to people running away from wars in the region.
Although colonialists no longer use cheap non-essential stuff, they promise aid money.
The Asante queen mother sums up the situation then and now: “The wisdom of a king lay in knowing at all times what to do to remain a king.
“If what should be done now was to yield a bit to the whites, better that than lose all power to an upstart general,” (Page 331).
In short, Armah says Africa is not united today because of greedy leaders who look at Europe for help; leaders who have no strategy to empower their people and choose to rely on handouts and because of leaders who are scared of upsetting their erstwhile masters.
But Armah says all is not lost. There are leaders like former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, who see beyond the US dollar, who are talking about the African renaissance.
There are leaders such as President Robert Mugabe who believe in black empowerment.
These are the healers Africa needs at this moment in time to restore the continent’s lost integrity.
But such ‘healers’ are hated by those ‘kings’ who still believe in the power and magic of the ‘colonialists’.
In conclusion, people like Mbeki and Mugabe will not be appreciated now; but future generations will certainly turn back and ask why such healers were not heeded.
SOURCE: SOUTHERN AFRICAN NEWS