TRENDS OF COLONIALISM IN AFRICA; A CALL FOR MENTAL REVOLUTION- Article Review

The Recall quote from Trends of Colonialism in Africa.

GENRE: ARTICLE
TITLE: TRENDS OF COLONIALISM IN AFRICA; A CALL FOR MENTAL REVOLUTION
WRITER: COMFORT NYATI SDB, ZIMBABWE
REVIEWER: JOSEPH ODURO, GHANA

Oblivious we were of the fact that independence from an authoritarian foreign rule would accelerate the emancipation of the African dream. Where self-reliance and cohesion thrived for all seasons. We woke from this illusion as freedom from one colonial rule was a plunge into the perils of tribalism and mental slavery.
This, being the core around which the author revolves this article in.

The author is describing colonialism with evidential historical precedence and refers to it as a practice of dominance and subjugation of a feeble group to another. This inculcates the paradigms where ethnic groups engulf neighbouring groups and establish dominance over them while encrypting in them novel ideals and beliefs which are peculiar to that of the conqueror.

At the climax of a keenly led path to deciphering the various perspectives which we can view colonialism from, he adds that colonialism (dominance) is a natural trait of both rational and irrational beings. This implies that the zeal to establish dominance over the feeble and be feared is an intrinsic mental craving of all individuals. This attribute, if not controlled, is highly detrimental.

I could not agree less with the article since we have not adequately evolved from the animosity attributed to establishing dominance to fuel our social prestige and satisfy our ego. The refusal of a number of African leaders to retire from political offices affirms the claim of colonialism/dominance being an intrinsic trait of humans.

The author calls for revolution. An armless revolution that will seek to alter the integral or core aspect of colonialism; a mental revolution whose threshold is our educational system. Our freedom from mental slavery is not proportional to academic excellence but an informed, gallant and daring mind. A zeal for freedom from mental slavery; a revolution which can only be birthed in the classroom.

The author unravels to our consciousness the roots of the declination in growth of Africa emancipating herself from the chains of neocolonialism. He does so by making compelling and undebatable analyses and backs them with tangible paradigms which has proven to be a very effective method of sparking a sense of awareness.