Africa's catching up with rest of globe

22 February 2018 - 12:12
By Reader Letter
South African actress Connie Chiume as the Mining Tribe Elder in Marvel movie Black Panther.
Image: Marvel Studios South African actress Connie Chiume as the Mining Tribe Elder in Marvel movie Black Panther.

Why is that if anything good comes out of Africa, the world just looks away?

There are a lot of good, brilliant and extraordinary undertakings and achievements to come out of Africa but the world pretends as if it does not see.

Industry-wise we are not yet a force to be reckoned with, yet Innoson Motors of Nigeria, Kantaka cars of Ghana, Mobius of Kenya and the Nyumbu of Tanzania are signs of a budding industrial revolution.

Africa cannot be expected to compete with the likes of France, Britain and America's 200-year-old industrial revolution, nor can it be put on an equal scale with their political maturity, which surely preceded their industrial revolution.

The impetus to a political revolution is idealism, which differs from an industrial revolution, which springs from political stability.

Africa is now enjoying some form of political maturity. South Africa and Zimbabwe found peace in the midst of racial bigotry while South Africa is also a prime example of the immutable power of multiparty democracy. The Gambia's adherence to democratic fundamentals is also admirable.

This political maturity will soon give Africa the impetus for full industrial and infrastructural revolution, to be on par with the rest of the world.

But will the world at large still need telescopic vision to see or acknowledge what is happening in this "dark continent" and stop pretending that they see nothing, hear nothing and know nothing good and positive about Africa?

Zweli Mavuso

Rustenburg