With reference to the spat between the ANC, EFF and MKP regarding Jacob Zuma’s visit to Morocco, it is amusing to observe their defence of colonialism’s biggest legacy in the light of their fervent anti-colonial rhetoric and historical ‘struggle’ against colonialism (The Mercury, July 22).
The territorial demarcation of the map of Africa is colonialism’s most enduring legacy. The boundaries of colonies were the result of territorial and economic greed amongst the European colonisers, each scrambling in the late 19th century to aggrandise their empires. Through invasion and conquest, the intervention of European powers in Africa was a violent collision between Western and African cultures, the aftershocks of which persist to this day.
The biggest mistake the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) made on its formation in 1963 was its failure to redraw the map of Africa based on tribal and cultural integrity. Instead, the newly emancipated pursued power and prestige as presidents of the ‘states’ bequeathed to them by colonialism.
The only territory to break free of the colonial map is Eritrea – after a brutal and devastating 40-year war with Ethiopia.
History shows that boundaries are not permanent. Eastern Europe’s boundaries changed twice in the 20th century – post World War I and after the collapse of the USSR. Currently, separatist movements exist in Scotland and Spain. There is even one in the Western Cape.
So it is ironic that the ANC, EFF and MKP are vociferous about preserving national sovereignty based on colonial boundaries. It’s a pity that fondness does not extend to some of the worthwhile legacies of colonialism, such as medicine, education and infrastructure.
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