Obama`s 'rumble in the jungle' highlights issues affecting Africa

Throughout history, very few people have had the rare ability to conjure up such a concoction of emotions in people when they speak. Hate him or love him, President Barack Obama has distinctively set himself apart as an orator of note throughout his presidency. This has been more evident on his recent tour of Africa, in the speeches he has been delivering especially to the young people. Whether his speeches are filled with platitudes or mere political rhetoric, the American President has managed to highlight fundamental issues affecting the African continent and its people.

Africa rising has been the catchphrase in the last couple of years, following the blistering pace of economic development the continent has been enjoying, especially in  sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, research has shown that, six of the world`s ten fastest growing economies of the past decade are in sub-Saharan Africa. Zambia and Rwanda are some of the countries that have capitalised on this phenomenon through their successful issue of a heavily oversubscribed US$750 million debut Eurobond and a US$400 million bond respectively. Interestingly, these bonds were touted as safer bets compared to Spanish bonds.

Oddly enough, Africa remains a continent of two extremities, whereby despite the growth achieved, the continent is still home to a large number of the world`s poorest people. The World Bank notes that in some 12 African countries, the extreme poverty rate is as high as 60%. This goes on to highlight the inequalities that still exist on the continent particularly between those in the urban areas and those in the rural areas. Questions therefore arise as to whether this much publicised growth is at all inclusive and swift enough to make any meaningful headway in combating extreme poverty and hunger on the continent. Of course credit must be given where credit is due, and it is worth mentioning that, statistics show that in the last three years, the number of people on the continent living on less than $1. 25 a day has decreased by around nine million.

Speaking to students at Cape Town University, President Obama underscored the uneven nature of the progress that has been made on the continent. This phenomenon has seen the emergence of an elite group of the excessively rich and a significantly larger group of those living in squalor and abject poverty on the continent. Though Africa may be moving forward, he warned that Africa is not moving fast enough and most people were being left behind. This argument seems to have merit, given that approximately two thirds of the population in sub-Saharan Africa still does not have access to electricity.

Historically, greed and corruption on the part of African leaders has been blamed for the underdevelopment the continent has seen. Governments that have been fraught with a lack of transparency, rule of law and the much needed accountability have dominated the geo-political landscape in Africa. This comes as no surprise, when research shows that over 70% of the public purse in Africa is funded through foreign aid. To put it into context, in Ethiopia, aid constitutes a little over 90% of the government`s budget. In her book ‘Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not working  and How There Is A Better Way for Africa’  award winning economist Dambisa Moyo argues that these constant streams of free money fester recklessness and corruption on the part of governments, as they need not raise any taxes on their citizens to fund their budgets.  It follows that the citizens cannot therefore hold their leaders to task, as without taxes there can be no representation.

President Obama also mentioned that governments that abide by the rule of law and respect the rights of their citizens draw more investment and generally do better. More often however, governments on the continent are filled with leaders who sell their country`s resources to foreign interests, as they enrich themselves with impunity at the expense of their citizens. Disturbingly, a joint report released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) group shows that since 1980, Africa has lost an estimated US$1. 22 trillion in illicit financial flows of capital outside the continent. This obviously has contributed to Africa`s slow economic take-off.

Unlike other continents, Africa has a unique demographic structure where 60% of the continents population is below 35 years of age. Of these, 1 in every 3 is between the ages of 10 and 24. These statistics underline the pivotal role that the Africa`s youth have to play in ensuring that Africa`s growth gains momentum going forward. Sadly though, the youths of this continent have been exposed to the vagaries of youth unemployment, as this growth has failed to translate into jobs on the ground. The presence of unemployed and despondent youths presents risks of social upheavals which could derail in an instant, the economic growth presently being witnessed. In Tunisia, it only took the self-immolation of a youth; Mohamed Bouazizi to spark a revolution that nearly crippled the entire economy.

There is a need for the current crop of leaders to engage the younger generation as these are tomorrow`s leaders into whose hands, the legacies of African countries will be left in. Youths need to be afforded a voice in the governance of their countries. Clearly, the youths are the heartbeat of the continent and are an important cog in Africa`s development. Sadly though, there has been a lack of decisive initiatives by our current leaders to effectively mentor and train these leaders of tomorrow. Instead, the youths have been used as pawns in underhand ploys to further political gains. This is unfortunate as it compromises the continued growth of the continent as the next generation of leaders will be repressive tyrants with no respect for democracy. President Obama touched on this issue as he announced his Young African Leaders Initiative that seeks to mentor youths.

As the American President`s visit to Africa is met mixed emotions, it cannot be disputed that he is shedding light on crucial factors that are holding back the continent`s progress. Whatever motive he may have, left unaddressed, these issues will curtail our development. It calls for Africans, particularly the young to take a stand against various ills that are still beleaguering the continent. Yes, Africa is rising, but we have to at some point answer the questions; is this growth inclusive? rapid enough? Are the youths being prepared to keep Africa`s surge and perhaps more importantly, are the current leaders doing more to promote this development?