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Telling the truth is neither Afro-pessimism nor vending of ‘poverty porn,’ it’s patriotic

Thursday May 24 2018
toon
By TEE NGUGI

Quite often in academic and political expression, critics of how Africans manage the affairs of their countries are accused of being afflicted with particularly virulent Afro-pessimism.

That this condition, it is postulated, is caused by a residual mental colonialism. That its pitiful victims are incapable of seeing anything positive coming out of Africa.

The literary world has a more colourful phrase to describe this terrible mental affliction: “Poverty porn syndrome.” Writers who do not extol the virtues of Africa, especially pre-colonial Africa, and instead decry the insatiable greed of African leaders, or expose conditions of hopelessness and despair in Africa, or fictionalise the gruesome history of ethnic violence on the continent are accused of pandering to racist perceptions of Africa.

These vendors of “poverty porn” and the Afro-pessimists are placed in the same category as writers such as Shiva Naipaul and others who have written books purporting to be their observations while travelling in Africa.

In his travel book, North of South, Shiva hypothesises that the African mind is incapable of grasping the principles of modernity because “the tribal world was real, the new world lacking definition and solidity, fades into the dimmer reaches of the fantasy.”

That is why, Shiva says, “Africans are unpredictable. Without even a glance to right or left, they will with utmost calmness begin walking across the road.”

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Later in the book, Shiva records a purported conversation with a literature student. Shiva asked him what books he read. The student replied that he did not read books. Greatly perplexed, Shiva asked him how he could be studying literature and not read books. The student replied that he really loved literature.

Impossible

It is implausible that such an exchange took place. The book, as in many others written in that tradition, fails to unpack the complexities and contradictions within the African society, because the real intention is to confirm popular Western stereotypes of Africa.

For African politicians and Afro-centric academicians, therefore, to equate honest and sympathetic critics of Africa with writers such as Shiva, who set out to “prove” predetermined notions, is not only grossly unfair, but in fact contributes to the continued socio-economic underdevelopment of the continent.

So what are we supposed to do in the face of glaring inefficiency and greed? Do we refrain from writing that Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea runs the country like a personal ATM or that Robert Mugabe was an incorrigibly corrupt megalomaniac?

Do we continue propagating the comforting nationalist lie that pre-colonial societies were havens of democracy and brotherly love, and that tribalism was a creation of colonialism, or do we follow in the footsteps of Julius Nyerere and confront the vice head on before it exterminates us all, as it almost did Rwanda in 1994?

Is it Afro-pessimism to say the Goldenberg and Anglo-leasing type corruption scams in Kenya impoverished a generation? Do we become vendors of “poverty porn” when we tell stories of people caught in the mire of despair in towns and villages because governments steal from them and stash the billions in foreign banks?

Do we not talk about the deaths at Solai Dam — the tragedy in the Kenyan County of Nakuru where 50 people were buried alive in mud and floods — caused by gross ineptitude and negligence?

Consider the facts of this tragedy. “Tumbocrats” of a hitherto unheard of agency — Water Resources Management Agency — had inspected the dam in question years before and found it to be faulty. Then nothing further was done until the dam broke its walls last week and swept away impoverished villages downstream.

Do we become “poverty porn” vendors when we say that in other countries negligence by officials is punished, not rewarded with new postings as is so often the case in Kenya ?

Is it Afro-pessimism to question why for the past 54 years our response to droughts, famines, floods, terrorist attacks, etc, is always woefully confused and inadequate?

Are we wrong to ask where the helicopters which fly politicians all over the place during the elections disappear to when disasters strike?

Is it a sign of mental colonisation when we express anger and despair at reports indicating that high government officials have stolen Ksh9 billion ($90 million) from the National Youth Service right on the heels of the Ksh3 billion ($30 million) stolen from the same department?

Do we become like Shiva Naipul for saying that Africa has failed, not because of any external causes, but because of a failed leadership?

To not write about these failures, or to hide them under colourful nationalist slogans, or to find an excuse for them is to contribute to the rot that will one day bury us all.

Tee Ngugi is a Nairobi-based political commentator.

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