Africa Guardian

By Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President-Uganda:

I always like to start the issues of Africa in 1900. Our Banyankole
people say: “Kamara matsiko nka icumu rya ahanda.” This translates
as: “When a spear thrust by the enemy injures your internal organs,
then you know that your hope for survival is very limited.” In other
words, injuring the internal organs of a person is a decisive blow. I
call 1900 Kamara matsiko (the extinguisher of hope) because by that
year, the whole of Africa had been colonized except for Ethiopia. Why
couldn’t Africa defend itself? Mainly because of internal weaknesses.

The Africans are favoured by God and nature. They live in a land area
which is 11.7 million square miles in size ─ bigger than USA, China,
Brazil and Western Europe combined. This land is very well watered by
powerful Rivers ─ the Nile, the Congo, the Zambezi, the Limpopo and
the Niger. It contains vast Lakes: Nalubaale (L. Victoria), Rutshuru
– Butumbi (L. Edward), Masyooro (L. George), Kivu, Tanganyika, Nyasa
and Turkana, among others. Africa’s 1 billion people are divided into
just four linguistic groups: the Niger-Congo (including the Bantu and
the Kwa groups), the Nilo-Saharan (including the Nilotic and
Nilo-Hamitic dialects), the Afro-Asiatic (Arabic and Amharic) and the
Khoisan (so called bush men).

Reactionaries talk as if the African peoples are so divided that they
cannot live together. Even the four linguistic groups mentioned above,
are linked among one another. The Somalis, for instance, call a cow:
“Saa.” The Banyankore, Banyarwanda and Baganda use that word “saa”
for cow-dung (busa, amasha). Our Nilotic people call water “Pii.” The
Somalis call water “Biyo.”

While the African peoples are either similar or linked, the
pre-colonial chiefs preferred to keep them divided into small tribal
kingdoms, chiefdoms or segmentary societies.Those divisions are still
being promoted by the reactionaries today. This was definitely one of
the causes for the colonization of Africa. Some people try to say
that technology was the main cause for our colonization. I do not
believe this. China and Japan were backward technologically at that
very time. The Europeans tried to colonize them but failed. Even
Ethiopia could not be conquered by the Europeans. Why? They were not
easy to swallow because of a higher degree of political integration.
The defeat of the whole of Africa by 1900 was the ultimate vote of no
confidence in the pre-colonial feudal systems of Africa.

Africa regained her freedom because of three factors: the resistance
of the African peoples, the emergence of the Socialist Bloc (Soviet
Union and China) in 1917 and 1949 respectively and the two
inter-imperialist wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45 that weakened the
imperialist countries to our advantage. We had also survived
colonialism (unlike the Red-Indians, the Incas and the Aztecs of the
Americas) because of our strong civilization that involved advanced
agriculture. That is how we were able to survive the diseases brought
by the Europeans and Arabs like smallpox and jiggers. Our cattle,
sheep, goats and chicken had inoculated us against zoonotic diseases ─
diseases between man and animals.

The African peoples thus were and are quite advanced in civilization,
language, agriculture, technology (iron-working) and social
organization but very weak in political organization ─ confining
themselves to tribal and clan organization and, therefore, not taking
full advantage of the similarities and linkages of the African
peoples. After independence, the political leaders have also confined
themselves to the colonial States as if they were God made. If Uganda
is good, by giving each of our families a bigger market to sell our
products and improve our welfare, why can’t East Africa be better?
Political organization was weak in the pre-colonial times.That is why
we were colonized. It is still weak now. That is why we do not carry
the commensurate weight Africa deserves.

Eventually, we regained our independence, with Ghana being the first
in 1957. Unfortunately, on account of, again, exogenous (outside) and
endogenous (inside) factors, 50 years after independence, most African
countries are still listed as LDCs (Least Developed Countries). Today
the middle income countries in Africa are 25. There is not a single
First World country in the whole length and breadth of Africa. Why?
In the last 50 years in which I have been active in the resistance
struggles in Uganda and Africa either directly or indirectly, I have
been, together with colleagues, able to study the situation. In these
50 years, I have identified 10 strategic bottlenecks which I would
like to mention. These are:

1. Ideological disorientation whereby the reactionaries fragment the
African peoples into sectarianism of tribe, religion and gender
chauvinism.

2. This ideological disorientation cannot allow the reactionaries to
build viable and capable state pillars such as the Army, Civil service
and Judiciary, among others. Consequently, any slight disturbance or
challenge leads to the collapse of the State authority to the
detriment of the people. Killings, rape, defilement, looting and all
sorts of crime with impunity become the lot of the people.

3. Owing to inadequate analysis, attacks against the Private Sector,
including the physical expulsion of elements of the entrepreneurial
class as was done by the regime of Idi Amin. Even where there is no
direct attack on the private sector, corruption, bribery, extortion
and poor administration or regulation also hamper the thriving of the
private sector. Fundraising by politicians and other groups such as
churches and mosques can also disrupt the growth of the private sector
and the accumulation of capital. A poor savings culture on account of
ostentatious consumption, drunkenness and other forms of social
indiscipline also interferes with capital accumulation and, therefore,
the strengthening of the Private Sector.

4. An under-developed human resource (society) on account of lack of
education and lack of health care. A non-literate, non-skilled
population does not fully realize its potential.

5. Inadequate infrastructure that causes the cost of doing business in
our countries to go up, thereby undermining the profitability of
companies operating in our countries.

6. Small internal markets on account of the excessive balkanization of
Africa that cannot support large scale agricultural and industrials
production. There was also neglect of developing export oriented
industries apart from exporting unprocessed minerals and other
raw-materials.

7. Lack of industrialization whereby we export unprocessed
agricultural products and minerals, thereby losing money and jobs to
the outsiders.

8. An under-developed services sector.

9. An under-developed agricultural sector.

10. Lack of Democracy.

The African countries, after a number of wasted decades, have started
solving some of these strategic bottlenecks. Democracy is now more
wide-spread than in the 1960s and 1970s, for instance. Private sector
– led growth is now accepted. Market integration started after the
1980 Lagos Action Plan. In the case of East African Community (EAC),
it had started in 1948 with the East African High Commission and
Common Services Organization but broke down during Amin’s time. We
revived it in 1993. This is a good start in resolving this
debilitating factor that undermines the profitability of businesses on
account of the narrow markets that were caused by the balkanization of
Africa.

I would like to talk on just two of the ten strategic bottlenecks I
have mentioned above; the issue of small markets and inadequate
development of infrastructure, especially electricity. The
disorientation I mentioned above did not only apply to ideology. It
also applied to the concepts of development. The amount of opposition
we have faced on the issue of increasing electricity generation is
unbelievable and shameful.

Let me, however, start with the issue of small markets. I have
already said that, at least, the African leaders, after 1980, started
working on the issue of the regional trading blocs. That is how we
got COMESA, Central African Association and ECOWAS. EAC was already
there as already pointed out; only that it broke down in 1977 until we
revived it in 1993. SADC started off as the Frontline States and the
Liberation Movements that were fighting colonialism in Southern Africa
in the 1960s, 70s and part of the 1980s until the emancipation of
South Africa in 1994. Of all these blocs, the EAC has the brightest
future and greatest hope for Africa. EAC does not just aim at economic
integration. It also aims at political integration through the
formation of the East African Federation. That is what article 5 (2)
of the EAC Treaty says. At some stage, we proposed to fast track this
political integration. All the people of East Africa supported this
and it was only in a few cases where there were some concerns about
certain issues. This was very encouraging and laudable. The case for
the political federation is on account of the following points:

(i) Even if the economic integration is successful, there are very
crucial issues that you cannot address. It is not easy, for instance,
to address the issue of common Defence when you are different
countries. Yes, you can have collective Defence such as NATO’s case.
However, those Defence Pacts normally depend on one or so strong
members such as the USA. Where is the USA of Africa? A politically
united EAC would provide the beginning of the USA of Africa which
could provide the centre of gravity of Africa’s future. How have we
insured Africa against future re-colonization and marginalization
since Independence? When Africa confronted the moribund Portuguese
colonialists and the racists in Southern Africa, we were supported
with weapons by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China.
That is how we won military victories in Mozambique (Samora Machel and
Frelimo), in Zimbabwe (ZANU–ZAPU), in Angola (MPLA), in Namibia
(SWAPO) and in South Africa (ANC). The socialist camps became part of
the strategic rear of Africa with a clout that was respected and
feared globally. What is our feared or respected strategic rear now?
It is our duty to create this strategic rear when conditions are still
favourable. It is inexcusable that we have squandered the last 50
years without doing so. Some global actors are trying to achieve
military superiority on land, in the air, at sea and in space. Where
does that leave Africa?

(ii) Fragmenting the hinterland from the sea coast is another big
disadvantage created by the present balkanization and is fraught with
potential problems.

(iii) Fragmenting the natural resources is another weakness. EAC has
always had tremendous natural resources. New ones are being
discovered. If these were under one political roof, our bargaining
power in the world would be much greater. When we negotiate
separately, there are even attempts at playing us against each other.
You hear words like: “If you do not agree to these terms, your
neighbours will leave you behind.” Of course, it is also easier to
manage common resources better if we are under one political roof than
when we are separate. I am talking about resources like lakes and
rivers, among others.

(iv) Economic integration per se is not easy when you are under
separate political roofs. You have seen the problems in Europe
recently. Owing to different levels of development, mere economic
integration may benefit different countries unequally.

By being part of a common market, the consumers buy on equal terms a
product produced anywhere in East Africa, quota and tax free. At our
present level of integration, we do not, however, share the taxes from
the factory or share the jobs. This has potential for disenchantment
with integration. When it is one political unit, even if there are
inequalities, they are easy to handle because the jobs are equally
accessible to all the citizens on merit and taxes are shared. EALA and
all the East Africans should push even more for the cause of the East
African Federation.

The issue of infrastructure, especially electricity, shows how Africa
got off the track even after independence. As I repeatedly tell
African audiences, there is a Kwh per capita yardstick that is simply
amazing. The USA has a Kwh per capita of 12,400. Some of the African
countries have as low as 12!! Uganda had a Kwh per capita of 30 in
1986. We now have a Kwh per capita of 150. When Karuma, Ayago, Isimba,
the mini-hydro stations that are about to be embarked on and the
geo-thermal project of Lake Katwe are finished, we shall have a Kwh
per capita of 400. There is some awakening in Uganda after repeated
quarrels with the persons concerned. As of now, only South Africa and
Libya have a Kwh per capita of 4,000 and above. Uganda aims at 42,000
MW by 2040. Africa and EAC needs a general awakening on this issue.
We should not be diverted again.

I am glad that most of the strategic bottlenecks have been identified
and are being addressed. Uganda will become a lower middle income
country by 2017 and an upper middle income by 2032 or earlier. At
last, after endless internal struggles, this vision, with the correct
understanding of the strategic bottlenecks, has been incorporated into
the 5 years and 10 years plans by the National Planning Authority
(NPA). We are now moving having wandered in the wilderness of
“ideological and conceptual confusion” for some time.

By identifying some of these bottlenecks, much of Africa is beginning
to move. The average rate of growth has doubled to 5.44% per annum
since the year 2000 compared to a growth rate of 2.5% in the 1990s.
When EAC gets closer together, the sky is the limit especially now
when we have discovered the gaps that crippled us in the past. There
are, of course, other tactical bottlenecks such as corruption and
administrative delays. These are, however, easier to deal with when
you have dealt with the strategic bottlenecks.

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