A Changing African Global Political Placement.

By Takura Zhangazha*

I am from the Global South.  For many that do not quite understand this latter term, it is one that replaced what used to be referred to as the “Third World”. 

This was based on colonialism and assumptions of the superiority of the Western World as well as attendant simplistic perceptions of what was in the 1980s referred to as “underdevelopment”. 

All within the ambit of a global Cold War that defined international relations between the United States of America and its allies (NATO) against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies post the Second World War. 

So the Global South as an emergent term is historical, geographical and a lived economic reality.  It means that I am from the poorer parts of the world where and when it relates to comparative economic well-being or even societal happiness.  Both at an individual and societal level.

It is something that I know many comrades for the same said Global South cannot shrug off. 

Both materially and epistemologically. 

For me however, there is also the fact that I am from a Global South that is African.  And one that is also  therefore historically and physically othered as  ‘black’.

So I could have been from Venezuela, China, Palestine, Cuba or Aboriginal Australia but I am from the continent of Africa that is viewed in comparatively racist eyes by those that own the Global North but also those that claim closer proximity to it. 

By way of colour or in some cases integrated cultural practices.  As designed by colonial history and again ingrained attendant cultural,  economic and social practices that we live with today.  As well as pass them on to our children in ways we perceive to be progressive and in tandem with what our colonial, religious affiliations or material life experiences or aspirations have taught us. 

But as an African, barring the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and within the context of contemporary international regionalized proxy wars between the global west and east, I am increasingly aware that we are faced with a changing global world order.  One in which we, as Africans have little serious say. 

Not for a lack of words but because of the immediate threat of our weaknesses when it comes war on a global or even regional scale when the elephants are fighting.

Whereas when we fought against direct colonialism, we were emboldened by our own resolve and our allies to find what we then considered human and global egalitarian freedom.

 In the contemporary we are essentially powerless about determining how global wars affect us.  Let alone how to either prevent them or as the general term used in the present to ‘de-escalate’ these same said global wars. 

Be it at the United Nations, the African Union or in our own Zimbabwean instance, at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) level.

In some instances we have been complicit in inflicting harm upon ourselves as was the case with UN Security Council Resolution 1973 on Libya (a security council that included South Africa as a key international player). 

As we all now know, Libya will never be the same.  And that it is now a haven for multiple insurrections and instability across the Sahel region. 

But this is not the essential point to make.

As Africans we need to contend with the point that what has happened since COVID 19 as a global pandemic, the regional and global wars we are now witnessing as in the cases of the Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Palestine-Israel, Ukraine- Russia or in any other regional of the world, are not of our own making. 

In reality we are increasingly bit part players at the hands of those who we either refer to as allies, friends or ‘investors’.  Or in rare cases, enemies. 

What I find most curious is how we as Africans view our placement in global affairs as they occur.  A majority of us are familiar with its racist and repressive past. But tragically an even greater majority of us are not so familiar with its nuanced racist and repressive present.   

Or the groundwork for its racist narrative for the future as it tackles migration and race relations in the Global North.  Inclusive of our contradictory migratory desires to be there anyway despite the evident populist racial discrimination. 

What is important to bear in mind is that Africa in the global scheme of things is in a very bad space.  Particularly where it concerns regional or global wars for both material (economic)  and hegemonic (cultural) reasons.  

Based on recorded UN General Assembly voting patterns we are one day with the USA, another with Russia, on another day we are neutral and on other days we are with China.   Almost as though African countries are global “yo-yos” at as an important an organization as the UN. 

In my view, we need to return to the original spirit and letter of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). 

While we have the African Union as our current major representative in the global scheme of things, including wars and economics, we might have missed the boat at the point of a continual understanding of the fact of our historical global (dis)placement. 

The Global North has limited respect for us.  In fact even progressive comrades who are based there are losing electoral and other social grounds as to either the equality of universal human rights or the fact that for example we need to reign in social media company ownership monopolies. And their control of ‘public progressive narratives. Even in their own backyards.  Twitter’s Elon Musk anyone?

But as the great African revolutionary Amilcar Cabral once wrote, “No matter how hot the water from your well is, it will not boil your rice”.

We need to re-think Africa’s role in global international relations.  Beyond our historical anger and beyond our desires for global mimicry. 

And we need to be more organically radical about this. 

Indeed we may need all the help we can get to meet the demands of modern industrialization and organic democratic governance.  But going forward we should not be proxies of anyone or any country.  We need to believe in ourselves again. Ditto Nyerere.

*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)