#panafricanists

I see things and hear things that make me upset. The time the weather woman said to expect a few snow flurries for instance when we are well into Spring made me upset. Snow, do you have nothing better to do than mess with humankind and squash our spirits?

Another thing that makes me upset involves Pan Africanists that talk and talk and talk the talk but would be hard pressed to walk the walk. They may shuffle a few inches forward but they will not walk the walk. As the saying goeth; "It's levels to this shit" and I will endeavor to dissect said levels.

1. Well fed Pan Africanists

These pseudo pan Africanists may live within the boundaries of Africa or abroad. What they have in common despite the vastly different geographic landscapes they find themselves living in is the distinctly pampered upbringing and lifestyle they have. Many were born into wealth and had maids from their dirty diaper days up to their college graduate years. The extent of their struggle is losing an argument with little sisters who insist on watching Disney channel all day long when they'd rather watch the AC Milan versus Juventus football match on TV. Pan Africanists that were not necessarily born into wealth but now enjoy life in the lavish lane in many cases got to their current positions of affluence through nepotism and/or sheer luck. 

What the well fed pan Africanists do is present themselves in an us" versus "them" frame. The well feds see themselves as rich through their grit and determination and of course the rest are struggling because they aren't taking advantage of the countless opportunities made available to them by His Excellency. They tire not of singing the praises of their political leader who is notoriously hated by the West. He is their champion. A true revolutionary. In true hypocrite form, they refuse to reflect on many of the lucky breaks they've had that aren't always afforded to those of lowly blood.

On the other hand, well feds living in "enemy countries" like the USA, UK, Australia etc are particularly disgusting in their hypocrisy. 

From their furnished, well lit Manhattan high rise dwellings they chant "Viva Zanu!", "No to Imperialism in Zimbabwe" and so on. They regurgitate statistics about the wondrous economic growth Zimbabwe is experiencing and how Zimbabwe is a glorious Utopia but when quizzed by their critics about their choice of residence, they become purposely obtuse. Like fleet footed game dodging poisonous spears in the low veld they dismiss those that question why they have chosen to live in the United States of America if home is such a gold mine. If the economy in Zimbabwe is fairing so well, why do the well feds not immediately board the first plane back to Zimbabwe and enjoy the flourishing economy with everyone else?

There are other pan Africanists that are equally irksome. Observe:

2. Camp Hotep Kings and Kweens in the US and UK

These are the aggressive romantics.Africa is the ultimate. No wrong happens there. Or any wrong that happens there is the result of white devils messing stuff up. They quote Mugabe. Laud him ad nauseum. He is taking back the land and giving it to the people. "Power to the people!" they cry. They hear the stirring speeches by the man Mugabe himself. Farrakhan lends further credibility to this black brother ,Mugabe who will not stand for Western imperialism. Hey, Farrakhan backs him so you know this man is legit!

They don't see the civil servants that get paid paltry wages (if they are lucky that month. Some nurses have gone 2-3 months at a time without being paid). They don't know about the constant load shedding which is now woven into every day life that no one looks up when there's a power outage. They don't know that the education system, once a shining beacon not only in Africa but globally has completely fallen apart with just about 20% of high school students passing in 2013. "Viva Mugabe!" "Africa is for Africans" they cry. They don't see the Chinese investors encroaching in every sector of industry and commerce imaginable in Zimbabwe and importing Chinese workers instead of using the local workforce.

These hoteps would not last a day in Zimbabwe. Once the high wears off and unemployment stares them dead in the eye they'd ask Scotty to beam them up. Once stepping into the shower and finding that there isn't any flowing water gets old they'd be lined up at the US Embassy on Herbert Chitepo street requesting that Air Force one swoop down and carry them home. 

It's easy to back ideas and those that champion said ideas when you are standing from a distance. It's easy to bombard your Twitter followers with a flurry of quotes you got from the internet about that revolutionary thing so and so said. Pushing your sick loved one in a wheel barrow to a clinic 5 kilometers away is hard business. Did your heroes mention this in their speeches?

I do not dispute that Africans ought to govern themselves and that interference whether from the East or the West must be minimal if not non existent.  

I am all for it.