ECONOMICS
…shielding the rich, condemning the poor
The introduction of money as a measure and instrument of wealth and power destabilized cultural values and social interaction. Material wealth has always been present in society and it was shared between the rich and the poor. In romantic Africa the poor lived among the rich. Poverty was not a precondition for separation, segregation or isolation (the one condition that came near to bringing about such treatment was lack of integrity). All shared communal benefits. There was no village for the rich and village for the poor. It was a social- economy or “socio-friendly” economy. Even the poor had a home. The band structure of society ensured that everyone belonged somewhere. And had a relation they could bank on.
In money-economies, money separates the rich from the poor withdrawing with it social privileges and benefits of social prosperity. Wealth is kept in the bank away (inaccessible) from society. You can only participate in the economy if you have money. If you do not have money you cannot participate in economic affairs. By creating structures and circumstances that regulate interaction between the haves and “have nots”, society became segregated rather than integrated. Creating an economy based on social dynamics emphasizing social inclusion rather than economic exclusion would be interesting to investigate.
THE PAST
The challenge of formatting economies razed to the ground and plundered by more than one thousand years of disorder (in just 50 years) has not been an enviable task for leadership in Africa. The fact that any semblance of economic order exists is a triumphant tale indeed. The task of assembling a semblance of order has only just begun. It is important that the base be laid carefully to ensure that resources can later be marshaled to propel the economy forward. Leadership in Africa will need to draw from lessons in the political arena on the continent that ideologies can be as unworkable as they are damaging.
Adopting capitalist or other economic models reverently from our neighbors may win cheers, Aid and Grants but any adopted models must be practical enough to fit into current social circumstances, current state of organization growth and leadership development otherwise they will be as good as putting an old patch of cloth on new clothing. It will tear. Many economic models secure the interests of the lender not the social interests of the lended. In our view it would be better to re-invent the wheel and create models that fit the current state of organization and social order.
ORGANIZATION AND ORDER
Leadership will need to determine whether organization and order must be set right before economies can blossom or whether economies create organization and order. Does social order create economies or do economies create social order. Comparative lessons may show that emergent economies have “emerged” from a period of withdrawal, retreat, reflection and social restoration to develop organization framework and leadership that support economic development. Economics as a (development) tool needs established order – good order built on practical organization and effective leadership. If social order in an economy is in its development stages, economic models (built on established order) may become suspect in principle and fail in practice.
The economic pressure on Africa to perform as other economies that have been in existence hundreds of years may be misplaced, mischievous and meaningless. Social balance has hardly had time to be established. Economic development requires established social order and specific evaluation of individual circumstances before economic leadership can gain accelerated footing transform to transform a nation.
At this point in history economic stagnation may not be the key concern for leadership in Africa. Africa has barely created substantive socio-economic frameworks that will yield positive return in future. However avoiding debt may be an important precondition for future success.
EMPLOYMENT
Employment was not a permanent condition in much of African society rather when there was work to be done it was organized and done. But there was always a constant stream of things to be done. One did not need employment to find work. Work is in continuous supply. Is it possible to revise “employment philosophy” to take full advantage of available social capacity to work rather than to find jobs?
Leadership in Africa’s challenge is not employment rather it is keeping the people engaged in productive activity. The challenge lies in harnessing the contribution and economic output of all able persons. The challenge is in developing occupations. The first requires job creation the later implies development of industry and enterprise among the people. Ensuring people are occupied and productively engaged regulates social activity.
THE ECONOMY PARADIGM
Many economies are dominated by foreign investors and favor imports over exports. Does the economic paradigm favour external exploitation rather than local enterprise? How does this lead to social empowerment in the long term? If the current status is not addressed then the result cannot be social growth and development but rather the establishment of cheap investment sites that establish foreign industry.