What is wrong with the black man, what is that thing impeding him from having a straight thought after a straight view? Why is he his number 1 enemy and the real antagonist of his likes? What is the black to black war all about?
Most of the time, we are so used to pointing fingers at others that oftentimes we neglect the fact that we could possibly be the problem we are blaming on others. The recent cheap violence and Afrophobic mayhem, if you like, in South Africa has again drawn my attention to this near innate tendency of Black people to exterminate their kind. I do not want to go too far back to the pre-colonial and colonial era in Africa or begin to re-narrate the consequences of Slave trade or even buttress upon the arguement by the white colonialists that it was indeed our kings who sold out their people into slavery and that they were merely facilitators who helped materialize the vicious dreams of our heartless monarchs. My real opinion to this claim will remain a topic for another day.
But with unfolding events recently in Africa, first with the tremendous and impetuous goof of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akinolu in the wake of the governorship elections in Nigeria, in which he threatened to throw the igbos who fail to vote for his own annointed candidate into the lagoon and the hate advocation by the King of the Zulus in South Africa Goodwill Zwelithini Kabhekuzulu, who called on his people to resist the coming into South Africa of other neighbouring Africans who he regarded as unwelcome visitors disputing the few available economic chances with his people, one is tempted to begin to ask what the real contributions of these outdated parasites are in our modern day democracy?
Fortunately, in the case of the Lagos hate advocation by the Oba, bloodshed was averted because his annointed eventually emerged winner of the elections, some of us are still wondering what would have happened if his favoured candidate had lost in that election. The most painful and frustrating part of this incitation to terrorism and cheap violence is the impunity with which the issue was treated, the Oba, till date has not been officially questioned or called to order by the pertinent authorities of the State and the federation.
It is sad to note that scores of black Africans are currently being massacred in South Africa by the black South African people, who not too long ago were suffering injustice in the hands of their white dominators in the condemned apartheid regime. A regime which saw the whole of Black Africa unite to fight together until succeeding to bring the evil regime to its knees. As a Nigerian, I remember my quota in that struggle, a nationwide collection exercise, where pupils were asked to donate their tokens towards the ANC struggle in South Africa was a constant event in my primary and secondary school days, needless to begin to mention the brotherly assistance that Blacks in South Africa received from most african government, notable amongst them, my rich country Nigeria.
Today as I speak to you, black brothers who live in South africa are being roasted in macabre bonfire at strategic parts of South Africa with the passivity of the law enforcement agencies and the south African authorities. What a shame! If only Mandela could lift up his head from the depth of death to see the aftermath of his and our struggles.