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ISSUE NO. 4.

FRIDAY

3rd JUNE, 2011

Affairs

Current

By Baraka Mwashabwa

+255 717 084 400

By Amani Nkurlu

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By Gregory Gondwe

‘Neo-Imperialism’-A major Threat towards Africa’s progress

In a generally power-politic world, the stranglehold on Africa's economy by Western powers foisted by the imperialist colonial project is however set to remain for some time to come.

After China's current phenomenal economic growth, that it is now the world's second largest economy after the US, it is believed the next 15 to 20 years will see Africa emerge as the "next frontier''.                                         From observation, the world economy has been moving in an ant-clockwise; It started with America, went to Europe, and now in China heading towards Africa.     Yet, if one looks at the state of affairs on the continent, this would seem, at face value, to be quite an elusive dream.                    The widely held opinion, that Africa remains a hotbed of political and economic instability, is now making way (according to reputable research by internationally renowned business and economy think tanks) to a new thinking that because of its vast economic resources, Africa is the continent of the future.                          There are positive numbers to support this view, based on independent research, that Africa's "trade turnover could have reached nearly US$400 billion'' by 2015 from the current US$ 129 billion, which itself represents a tenfold increase since 2000.                 The Economist Intelligence Unit projects that Africa will record a growth rate of an average five percent for the next five years.               .

                 From about less than two percent of world foreign direct investment (FDI) at present, it is estimated by researchers that by 2015, FDI in Africa will be around US$40 billion.
                 There is more happening in Africa than just the widely held perception, fed by recent developments in Tunisia, Egypt, the Ivory Coast, Libya and many other political hotbeds, that Africa is incapable of achieving political and economic stability.                                 The "scramble'' for Africa's resources, particularly minerals, continues to spur economic growth against great odds. China is currently leading the pack with FDI into Africa officially estimated at US$10 billion.

In a generally power-politic world, the stranglehold on Africa's economy by Western powers foisted by the imperialist colonial project is however set to remain for some time to come.                                                    It can indeed be argued that Africa, by and large, is still hostage to the imperial powers, which paradoxically, remain the single most potent threat to Africa's political and economic development, independence and sovereignty.                     And yet are the most interested in exploiting Africa's resources. The meddling and interference by former colonial powers,

unfortunately, is the debilitative impediment to Africa's demographic and indeed democratic transition.                       How Africa responds to this new post-independence neo-colonial threat, a clear and present danger, is crucial to determining the continent's future.                                                            This year alone there will be elections in about 17 African countries. Nigeria and Uganda have already held successful plebiscites; albeit with the usual murmurings and disgruntlement with the fairness of the polls from the ever losing opposition parties.                                      That these elections are being held however is being seen as a positive development towards democratic transition in Africa.                          But is it so, given the obvious interest and desire shown so far by the former colonial powers to influence, if not manipulate the outcomes of those elections? The recent events, for instance, in the Ivory Coast are a case in point,