On being African

Thabo Mbeki’s reign as president left a bit of Africa on this country’s psyche. With help from Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, Mbeki helped create NEPAD, the African Union (AU) and the African Union Commission (AUC).

He popularised the African renaissance and proclaimed to all who could listen that he was an African.

Mbeki was perhaps a little rash in so enthusiastically tying South Africa’s fortunes to those of the rest of the continent. After all, Africa is also home to ‘stayee’ rulers like Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe (37 years), Yoweri Museveni of Uganda (31 years) and Paul Biya of Cameroon (35 years). Africa hosts some of the world’s deadliest civil wars̶in South Sudan, Darfur, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya etc. Meanwhile, the most dangerous pathogens also appear to thrive in Africa, with an Ebola outbreak having recently been reported in parts of the DR Congo.

Yet Africa is still relevant. It has stayed relevant even after the collapse of Communism almost a generation ago. African athletes, doctors, engineers and academics have continued to shine both at home and in adaptive European and North American capitals.

We should be proud of our heritage, not as South Africans, or Ghanaians, or Ugandans; but as Africans. We’ve seen how nativism has affected the US; and the European Union; and Britain.

All we have to do is figure out a way of kicking these old men to the kerb!

•Inasalutetohypocrisy, Sim’sfavouriteplaceisactually notAfrican‒butNewYorkCity.