African Heritage and the Crime of Non-Entities

The African ruling elites learned a very bad habit from colonialism - despising the their own story. You see, the myth of African historical backwardness and why it needed colonial salvation was partly based on the claim that the continent had no history. The continent was therefore presented as a blank slate that needed to be inscribed with civilization. Such a perception of Africa was logical: a people who had no history needed one. That is why, for a long time, African history started with colonialism. It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that some scholars started unearthing elements of the noble history of the continent.

The endeavors of scholars to rehabilitate African heritage has, however, not caught on with the ruling elites. In fact, for most of the ruling elites, African history always begins with them, and ends with them. Nothing happened before them and nothing will happen after them. For them, both the past and the future are impostors on the present. That is why, in many African countries, people hardly honor their heroes. You see, honoring heroes remind people of an ideal type. Since much of our contemporary ruling elites are scavengers feeding on the carcasses of their depleting people, such a reminder is dangerous. Thus, people like Ben Bella in Algeria, Nyerere in Tanzania, Zik in Nigeria, Sankara in Burkina Faso, Ruben Um Nyobe in Cameroon, etc. are hardly remembered. Dangerous memory, this. Why should we remember them when the world begins and ends with the present?

The fear of celebrating heroes is not limited to political figures. Even national figures such as artists, athletes, etc. are hardly remembered. An example that comes to mind is the contempt with which African football stars are treated by this corrupt ruling elite. Cameroon, for example, was put on the world map by Roger Milla's footballing dexterity, but today he is a non-entity. While in places such as Brazil, Argentina, Germany, etc., former football stars such as Dunga, Maradona, Kinsman, etc., are made the managers of their national football team, in much of African football stars are, at best, mildly tolerated by the ruling elites. In fact, Ndaye Mulamba, who enabled the then Zaire (Now DRC) to participate in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, was shot in his country and is now a refugee in South Africa. Of all the African teams participating in the current world cup, only one, Algeria, has a coach who is a native of that country.

Since the ruling elites maintain power by posing as gods, celebrating heroes unnecessarily multiplies the gods and renders superfluous the magic of the few. It is better to create non-entities.