A section of Africans thinks that Africa is poor because of colonization. Others maintain that colonization made Africa poor.
Hhmene from Kenya said that right now, corrupt African leaders are doing more harm than the West did during colonization. In some African countries, he says, they have bad laws and corrupt officials who make it hard for people to start and run a business.
“We can’t forever blame the West when we have corrupt leaders like Bongo selling natural resources and enriching countries like France. We as Africans must confront the sellout destroying our continent,” Hhmene said.
Jahobes added that the general premise is true. The continued poverty of African nations is not due to the literal acts of colonialism. But corruption is mostly bankrolled by former colonizers in the form of aid.
“The West attempted this with all of its former colonies, however, some were able to use that aid to make them self-reliant,” Jahobes wrote.
Nizasiwale from Zambia had a different view on the issue. He says all politicians in the world are corrupt. People should stop allowing others to tell us that corruption is an African thing.
“Italy is more corrupt than Botswana but Italy is still more developed than Botswana. Africa just started from the bottom but we have been building since independence. Most African states are new compared to many countries around the world,” Nizasiwale claimed.
“You want to tell me that a white man, who has never set foot in Africa, nor spoke any of our languages, has written a book to explain how the 500 year long colonization of Africa has nothing to do with its current state? What a load of shit, how can something that’s literally on going as we speak even be debated on anyway,” Vmon_Amo from Ivory Coast questioned.
“There is always that black person who thinks resource theft and anti-African policies of Western countries during and after colonial rule have no effect on the continent,” Kayodesam, a Nigerian living in the diaspora, said.
“All these people think they have the audacity and authority to speak to Africans. It is so crazy that anybody, especially non Africans, can just get on a camera and speak on Africans and Africa,” El-Hadji (Ji Chan) from Senegal mentioned.
Osaru-yo, a Rwandese, retaliated that this only happens because Africans have an inferiority complex, and they flock to these people to hear them disparage their countries and continent.
“Africa is getting rich just like the rest of the world. Life expectancy, human development, literacy have all increased tremendously in Africa. I don’t know why Africans think so lowly of themselves. This racist ignorance are only spoken on Africans because Africans allow it,” Tasty_Objective_3916 furiously said.
