Can Africa Be Saved? A Tirade

That's the question, a purely rhetorical one by most people posing the question, intent on continuing a long western tradition of taking on the critical moral obligation to aid and assist those living in what used to be called the Third World, now more delicately named emerging economies.

It's mind-numbing, in a sense, thinking back on all the millions upon millions of dollars - let's talk in billions - spent in hope of securing some relief of the endemic poverty and disease-stricken populations all over Africa. So many African countries are rich in abundant resources. Their need is to learn to manage them in a manner that benefits their entire population, justly.

Yes, there emerge from time to time success stories much celebrated, of one African country after another lauded for its governance, its steady hand in the administration of its resources, its growing economy, the betterment of its peoples' lives. Slow and steady does it, after all, before a country can begin to grow into its potential, most particularly when its potential is seen to have been stifled by the past interference of colonial powers.

But sadly, all the superficial band-aid work that the angst-ridden developed countries engage in, in their attempts to assist emerging African economies seem to be squandered in ill design where huge funds handed over to the ruling elite dissipate before they ever begin to trickle down to vitally required, permanent civic infrastructure, to improving the lives of the great underprivileged masses.

The emergency stop-gap measures to meet the urgencies of battling HIV/AIDS, malaria and water-borne deadly diseases come to nothing at all, when the aided country, providing so well for its people, suddenly implodes in an orgiastic bedlam of tribalism. The maintenance of life and society are brought to a shuddering halt, to be replaced by mobs shouting vengeance.

The economic handouts, the investment capital allowing governments to encourage enterprising entrepreneurs can be summarily thrown into oblivion by the embers of tribal jealousies, anger, disengagement in civil society; through the deadly umbrage of one tribe besting another in governance, accomplishments and the sharing of a nation's wealth.

The moot and dreadfully vital question is, can Africa save itself? Does she truly wish to be? From the vicious internal backbiting, group entitlements, endemic corruption and simmering resentments among its people. Can people of good will and intent persevere beyond initial promises to produce a truly national agenda to benefit all of the various tribes installed within national borders?

If so, why do the promises of a better future always become shadowed and then fatally diminished by the kind of reality that demonstrates national saviors as demagogic self-entitlers, happy enough to relinquish the hopes of their people to their personal aspirations of assembling wealth and prestige for themselves, their families, their followers.

In Africa, venomously bitter reproaches transform readily into venerable engagements of savage retribution. Where neighbours of disparate ethnic allegiances suddenly recognize the despised tribal inheritance of their erstwhile neighbour and passions lead to primal urges. Mass slaughters of innocents cap off these ungoverned passions.

Normally pacifying restraints of civil compatibility evaporate. Out come the disgruntled leaders, out come the firebrands of revenge, out come the incendiary torches of "protest", Africa-style.

As though the ordinary African is not sufficiently hard-pressed to endure his place in his society, governed by self-seeking opportunists and tyrannical leaders intent on maintaining their own tribal grips on power and the means by which wealth can be acquired through generous international aid.

One example after another of Africa's failures erupt bloodily on the world stage. Everyone demanding that the world and its representative authoritative bodies step in to restore order. Expatriate Africans living abroad looking back in anguish at the evaporation of civility and order as countries plunge into savagery plead for their host countries to "do something".

The restoration of order. Order, but not balance. Not fairness, not justice. this can only become reality from within. And there is no - has never been, any long-lasting demonstrated political or social will, to achieve justice and equality for all the disparate tribes living together in politic disharmony.

Africa is unwilling to restrain her baser, primal instincts to govern herself.

From Congo to Sierra Leone, Rwanda to Sudan. Zimbabwe to Somalia, Kenya to Chad. Central African Republic to Ghana; Africa, with its child slavery, child soldiers, violators of its women and tribal-rights sanctity expresses itself in bloody turmoil, time over time.

Africa appears determined to remain the Dark Continent of failed human achievement in the most basic areas of human rights and unions of compatibility. She must seek to save herself from herself.

From the utter failure of her degraded condition.