Oh, the hypocrisy of Westerners!
SIR — Bob Geldof is a simple and emotional rock star with good intentions but who does not understand the intricacies of international politics and economics.
SIR — Bob Geldof is a simple and emotional rock star with good intentions but who does not understand the intricacies of international politics and economics. These, in my view, have a lot to do with why Africa is poor. Before Westerners can begin advising us about our political future, let them at least begin by trading fairly with us. They should stop hiding behind the capitalistic process by taking advantage of our divisions and profiting from them through chronic unfair trade. In fact, for as long as I know, the ideologies of our various forms of Pan-Africanism have mostly been driven by our desire to put a halt to the unfortunate and artificial one-sided link between Africa, her former colonial masters and other western opportunists. It is very difficult for me to comprehend why Britain, the USA, and other western countries would do business with and give us peanuts for it because of their ‘access’ to other un-united African countries. For instance they buy coffee and cotton for almost nothing and make all the profits and then pretend to send us donations through scandalous NGOs or religious organisations which hire only bazungu, so as to save face. It is like stealing $100 from a defenceless person and then give him back $2 in order to ‘help him out’. Nonsense. If Africa was united and if it said NO to opportunism, where would the westerners go? To add insult to injury, when we decide to add value to our produce so that we can retain those jobs and profit from selling a finished product, we are penalised for it!
Let me make it clear that Africans will always have the stiffest resistance against their need and destiny to unite for survival all because it will put a halt to the criminal profiteering of these westerners whose machinations we are vulnerable to today. Africa does not have the strong pillars of leadership that the USA has, for instance. Because of the well established power that lies with the Senate or Congress that has evolved with time, it is possible to have a bafoon for a president in America and still be successful, because they are his support base. Uganda has not yet evolved to that extent. It was just recently that we had the first fair elections. Therefore it is crucial that we utilise, for our benefit, the strengths of those leaders who show and provide results for their people.
At one time, the Americans utilised President Roosevelt for their benefit when they gave him a mandate to run for office three times. He even died in office. The only reason the Republicans rejected it was for their selfish reasons but not because they thought Roosevelt had failed his people by accepting a third term. The Republican wanted nothing but the Chair, and so do many opposition politicians in Uganda today. I am yet to hear an opposition member talk about a strategy for African survival. At this time President Yoweri Museveni is one of the greatest African proponents for Pan-Africanism and our strategy is to revive the East African Federation for the same purposes. This plan is for our survival, and after witnessing the strengths that he has displayed in leading our country it is difficult to imagine why a constitution should not be amended in order to lift term limits.
If a doctor prescribes aspirin for you and after taking it your health starts deteriorating, do you keep taking it or do you stop and see the doctor again?
Allan Rwekishokye Katatumba
Secretary General- NRMO USA
Let me make it clear that Africans will always have the stiffest resistance against their need and destiny to unite for survival all because it will put a halt to the criminal profiteering of these westerners whose machinations we are vulnerable to today. Africa does not have the strong pillars of leadership that the USA has, for instance. Because of the well established power that lies with the Senate or Congress that has evolved with time, it is possible to have a bafoon for a president in America and still be successful, because they are his support base. Uganda has not yet evolved to that extent. It was just recently that we had the first fair elections. Therefore it is crucial that we utilise, for our benefit, the strengths of those leaders who show and provide results for their people.
At one time, the Americans utilised President Roosevelt for their benefit when they gave him a mandate to run for office three times. He even died in office. The only reason the Republicans rejected it was for their selfish reasons but not because they thought Roosevelt had failed his people by accepting a third term. The Republican wanted nothing but the Chair, and so do many opposition politicians in Uganda today. I am yet to hear an opposition member talk about a strategy for African survival. At this time President Yoweri Museveni is one of the greatest African proponents for Pan-Africanism and our strategy is to revive the East African Federation for the same purposes. This plan is for our survival, and after witnessing the strengths that he has displayed in leading our country it is difficult to imagine why a constitution should not be amended in order to lift term limits.
If a doctor prescribes aspirin for you and after taking it your health starts deteriorating, do you keep taking it or do you stop and see the doctor again?
Allan Rwekishokye Katatumba
Secretary General- NRMO USA