©Unoma Giese 2022
A paper presented that the CIC CERDOTOLA International Conference 2022 in Yaoundé
We do not lack capacity, talent, ambition or will in Africa. What we lack is discipline, which in turn leads to a lack of coherence, cohesion and implementation. This is common to the Black race in general. The title “Willing and Abel” alludes to the fact that while there is undoubtedly on the one hand, the will among Africans and the Diaspora to work toward betterment, while on the other hand there is the undermining effect that the behaviour of a minority has on the progress of the collective. Abel was the son of Adam and Eve, who was killed by his brother, Cain.
The very irony that an Abrahamic reference could be used to propose ways and means to a New African Thought, underscores the need for philosophies, imageries and metaphors of our own. At the same time it also demonstrates the degree to which cultural hegemony and transculturation have taken hold in Africa. To some extent these are irreversible, at least in the short to medium term. Certainly an adjustment of perspective and value systems must precede any real change on the ground.
Consequently, right now I believe there to be some value in our Christian or Muslim recognition of the story of Cain and Abel, insofar as it provides a metaphorical reference. For real progress to happen, first and foremost we must identify the Cains among us Africans. They are what I have otherwise dubbed the Tainted Tenth, a term I have coined to summarise the scourge and bane of African, and in a more collective sense, Black progress.
The concept itself is borrowed from W.E.B. Du Bois’ theory that there was (is?) what he coined to be the “Talented Tenth”, who would lead Black people to a better place. In his mind, these consisted of a highly educated Black elite, who would, by virtue of their qualifications, possess the knowledge and leadership skills to take us all out of Babylon, to a metaphorical promised land, where we could be free and prosperous.
Specifically here in Africa, what have our Talented Tenth achieved in six and a half decades, since the first wave of African Independence? Not much really, certainly not enough, and if anything, mostly an elephant in the room. It is an indictment on them, that those who have achieved the most in Africa, are in fact their antithesis, the Tainted Tenth, the bad eggs, yes, that elephant in the room. The Tainted Tenth operate in both formal and informal ‘clubs’, anything from the AU, in which women like Arikana Chihombori-Quao are regularly stifled, and even terminated for being frank, brave and outspoken about fundamental issues facing the continent, such as the stranglehold France is still allowed to maintain on its (former?) colonies, all the way to the male-ego-oriented establishment that rules over industry, academia, clergy and even too often the home front.
In pondering the way forward, the CERDOTOLA call for papers presented us with a comprehensive breakdown of what the components of New African Thought should be. If we think of Africa as a vehicle, made of several very differing components, then it is clear that there is the need to prioritise the factory work flow, since for example, one cannot put in the engine until a drivable vehicle has been built. Nonetheless, at any one point in time there is the simultaneous manufacture of all the components, as well as in another part of the factory, the assembly of these parts into the finished product, at varying stages of completion.
In order to capitalise on intersectionality and interoperability between these five proposed branches of New African Thought, as listed in the CERDOTOLA call for papers, let us contemplate the ‘how’. A co-ordinated, collaborative, cross-sectoral approach is pivotal to lasting psychosocial and socio-economic change and improvement. First of all, the logical and directional flow of the different aspects of NAT as proposed in the CERDOTOLA call for papers would look like this:
If we 1 Strategically Rethink Africa’s Relationship to Power, Time and the Environment, this will entail 2 Reconceptualising and surpassing “development”, which in turn will require 3 Reinventing the social bond, politics and institutions. This can only be achieved through 4 Re-founding education and research, and an excellent starting point to undertake this is to 5 Reengage the activation of Arts, Cultures and Heritage as levers of the Renaissance.
Case in point: The UK government successfully reduced cigarette smoking in a drive over several decades that recognised that in order to achieve change at both the cultural and the behavioural levels, there was a need for physicians to work with experts in several other sectors, all supported by government. Moreover the collaborative efforts had to occur at national, local and community levels of the country. One incredible outcome has been that whereas in 1986 people could still smoke even on aeroplane flights, today it is impossible to smoke in any public space whether in the the public or the private sector.
There is also a point of intersectionality where all segments of black society could and should pull together and create a monolith, thereby eradicating, or at least considerably reducing the need for black people to continue to endure the ignominies of un-level playing fields and policies that lead to social and economic disadvantage. Africans must strive to synergise with the descendants of the Middle Passage, as well as with their more current Diaspora, in a quest to significantly reduce it dependence on ‘other’ economies and markets, and to significantly exploit the dependence of the ‘others’ on our own resources, be they natural or human.
The Talented Tenth model of W.E.B. du Bois amounted to a somewhat impracticable snobbery, and lacked the spirit of cohesive teamwork between all strata of the workforce. We should now be aiming for integrative policies that give equal (*though differing) value to each person’s role in society. All fingers are not equal, but the hand needs them all to work properly. Intellectual and financial snobbery are not useful, in fact they are downright harmful to real progress. All they do is create a disconnected elite, a gaping ‘them and us’ situation.
Furthermore, Du Bois’ model relegated women to menial roles. Unfortunately, in Africa women have still not been given the recognition, responsibility and senior roles they deserve, although the African landscape is changing on this subject, and the fraction of the Talented Tenth that is female continues to grow in size and strength. It would seem ironic to wish that the number of women who are a part of the Tainted Tenth would grow, but if it were to happen, this could only be a function of women attaining increased agency in the greater scheme of things.
It is crucial to note that in the history of Africa, since women have very seldom been in charge or had any agency worth mentioning, the Tainted Tenth, those greedy, selfish and morally corrupt persons who have been the slave traders, the thieving dictators, the unethical captains of industry and the quislings, have ostensibly been male. This is no feminist attack on the men of Africa, rather a call for accountability to be the starting point for New African Thought. There are indeed very many good men in Africa and its Diaspora. Unfortunately those good men, as well as all women are let down, undermined and compromised by the Tainted Tenth.
Who exactly are the Tainted Tenth, anyway?
The Patriarchy – Without a doubt, the most prominent members of the Tainted Tenth are male. It behoves one to reiterate that historically, women have had little or no agency. However that is not to say that women do not have any role in the Taint.
The Matriarchy – There is indeed also a segment of African women who consider the best strategy for survival to be alignment with the Patriarchy in such a manner as to appease and indulge them, so as to gain curry favour and gain clout. Rightfully or wrongfully, these women effectively undermine progress and must be counted among the Tainted Tenth.
Academia – The imparting of knowledge and therefore the growth and development of the Talented Tenth lies in their charge. these are the thinkers and the lyricists. They can analyse anything, critique it, identify issues and proffer solutions. Unfortunately, too many of our academics are content to feed their egos with power and vanity, indulging in the politics of Academia more than they update their knowledge base or thought processes. They operate in an snobbish and insular way, and are guilty of creating the disconnect that exists between the theory of their musings, and the reality on the ground.
The corrupt – both those who practice corruption and those who condone it are tainted. From grass roots corruption to the highest level of embezzlement and corporate fraud, these are the bane of Africa’s existence. On the grass roots level, you have employees. who run personal agendas unbeknown to their bosses, and low level administrative officers who, in addition to their salaries expect a ‘tip’ for doing their job, completely unconcerned with the fact that said tip is indeed a bribe. At the highest level there is the appropriation of state funds, while not delivering project for the greater good.
The Clergy – As long as Abrahamic religious systems can legitimately override our own spiritualities, philosophies and pantheons of divinity, we have lost our compass. Moreover, organised religion is more often than not run by a predominantly male clergy.
The Uncle Toms – The colonised minds who, despite having access to superior knowledge, cling to ‘western’ and colonial value systems, as well as a sociopolitical and socioeconomic structure that perpetuates our relative ‘inferiority’.
The Never-let-go Oldies – African leaders who do not know when to let go. They come into power, and stay on for decades. The KPIs of their track records are highly questionable but they become hooked on the trappings of power, and refuse to pass it on to others. They also appear to be clueless about continuity, as well as unconcerned with it.
The Sell-out-youths – Many African youths, when asked what they want to do when they become adults, express the wish to work for a Multinational. This is the spawning moment of Africa’s Brain Drain.
One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Why then, like a dog spinning around chasing its own tail, do we remain in this cycle of rhetoric that is so devoid of action? The fact is that we could and CAN break the yoke, and once we are able to do so, this will considerably and significantly reduce our dependency on the ‘others’, thereby increasing their dependency on us. We must realise this power in every sense of the word ‘realise’.
Many look down on Zimbabwe with its ailing currency and sanctions-ridden economy. For those who are familiar with its inside, opportunities abound, and a quiet progress is being made, similar to that which Cuba has achieved in the past. Like Cuba and Zimbabwe, we must imbibe delayed gratification if we are to attain real independence. A summary of the many multifaceted lessens learned from this can be taken from the documentary “How Cuba Survived Peak Oil”. Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, the Environment and much more, were all affected by what the film dubs ‘the power of community’, which stemmed from the need to come together and do what it take to survive a crisis.
Make no mistake, Africa is in crisis. Our populations may be large and youthful, but these two factors only translate into being an asset, if they are educated and financially empowered. If they are not, then a large youthful population can be a liability, a sociopolitical danger even, as hit becomes the tinderbox for conflict.
Ubuntu may be an African word, but it is a universal concept. The exchange of philosophical, intellectual and cultural ideas has occurred between humans since the beginning of time. How then is there such high tension at the membranes of exchange between Africa and the global north? It is the lopsidedness of that exchange that continues to plague us, and this lopsidedness is a function of the impact of Talented Tenth being perpetually undermined by the dysfunction of the Tainted Tenth.
What is the point at which our talk transforms to walk? Can we identify exactly where this spontaneous combustion might reside? How do we ignite it?
As long as the Talented Tenth and those they supposedly lead continue to condone the operation and even the very existence of the Tainted Tenth, we will remain impotent in converting lofty intellectual propositions into tangible, results-oriented action. Discipline seems to be the missing link. Sacrifice is born of discipline, so as part of our intellectual discourse, we must extoll the virtues of delayed gratification and of discipline in general.
Beyond that, we must begin to assemble the teams who are to implement all our bright ideas. Vision must evolve into visualisation. Dream Teams may not immediately be feasible for implementation, but conceptualising them, together with a strategic Fantasy Timeline that incorporates short, medium and long term milestones, will take us closer to actualisation. Achieving this also requires discipline.
We are willing, so let us now do what it takes also to be able, and not Abel.