From: Imruh Bakari <ibsavannah@mail.com>
To: chambi78@yahoo.com; alimufuruki@infotech.co.tz
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: Ali Mufuruki's Fiery Critique of Nkrumah and Pan-Africanism
Some thoughts:Ali Mufuruki on NkrumahSometimes deep trauma requires severe shock treatment. The body-politic of Africa is in such a state, and drastic and critical action is urgently needed. Ali Mufuruki makes another (of course there are others) contribution to the kind of surgery needed to address the severe cultural and political bankruptcy that I think is at the core of the sickness that he is seeking to address.A few weeks ago as the current hunting season in SA was gathering steam, it was widely reported that, "Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu, recently established a Task Team to look at the underlying causes of the violence against foreign-owned businesses, her point of departure left observers beleaguered. Zulu was reported to the Human Rights Commission for inferring that foreign-business owners in South Africa's townships could not expect to co-exist peacefully with local business owners unless they shared their trade secrets." The bold emphasis is mine. It is there for anyone who could interrogate this statement and provide a diagnosis.Putting this statement into the context of the crimes and impunity in African states at least since Rwanda 1994, along with the myth of 'Africa rising' we have a situation which produces thousands of dead bodies in the Mediterranean Sea daily. ICC, Ebola and Mo Ibrahim's gold handshake to mediocrity, are all mere side shows.The core of Mufuruki's concern seems to be embedded somewhere in the view that, "the Volta Hydroelectric dam, the highways, the industrialisation drive, the massive school enrolments, the vocal and material support for African liberation, etc. Well, I am mentioning them now albeit as a mere anecdote. They are not acts of heroism but rather what we should expect of an averagely good African leader." If taken for what it implies, his discontent with mediocrity, for example, should be more than enough for the more astute historians, philosophers, and social scientist to unravel into meaningful discourse. Of course this is already being done even as the fury of Mufuruki stirs.However, in my view, there is still little in the new mainstream millennium thinking which reflects seriously on the curse of the nation state and its inevitable momentum to produce fascists and genocide (xenophobic enactments) as a pretexts to 'progress'.There is still little that engages with the scientific validation of pre-colonial and what could be termed counter-colonial African societies – alternatives and resistances to the European imperial world order - and their processes, as a reference fields for contemporary solutions to the governance of modern cosmopolitan African societies. Mufuruki has mentioned Osei Tutu and Opoku Ware. Well, may be. But to these could be added Samory Toure, for example. These are not fetishes of a romantic age in the past, to which refuge could be sought. Instead, these can be reference fields for new approaches to African solutions.At a base level what is at stake is the use of 'indigenous knowledge' for example, not as donor culture trivia, and not as something brought into use to murder and persecute albinos; instead something that would in principle be useful into providing systems for improved health care.Transcending Mufuruki's fury is possible and necessary. Among those he addressed was 'His Royal Highness the Emir of Kano' whose track-record to date is a cause for optimism. Equally, Nkrumah's legacy is not simply a 'blank page' neither is Pan-Africanism dead. Abandoned for expediency of the most perverse strain ('a building that was donated to us by our Chinese friends') perhaps; but it is still there to be reclaimed. What one film theorist has referred to as the Pan-Africanism we now have – 'Nollywood' – is a reflection of the pitfalls and the possibilities!Imruh Bakari22 April 2015Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 5:38 PMFrom: "Chambi Chachage" <chambi78@yahoo.com>
To: Wanazuoni <wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Ali Mufuruki's Fiery Critique of Nkrumah and Pan-AfricanismFYI: Ali Mufuruki is not a member of Wanazuoni so if you want your response to reach him copy his email address:
From: A. A. Mufuruki <alimufuruki@infotech.co.tz>
To: [...]
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 6:22 PM
Subject: Fwd: Re: [Wanazuoni] Ali Mufuruki's Fiery Critique of Nkrumah and Pan-AfricanismAllHaving received largely positive and supportive feedback from many quarters, it is my duty to share with you some of the rather negative reactions to my speech in the interest of balance.As I said in the lecture, I went into this assignment well aware of the risks involved and am also aware of the fact that Nkrumah is and will remain one of the most beloved Africans of all time.Just to provide some context: The lecture was introduced by a presentation from President Thabo Mbeki, a well known and respected Pan Africanist and admirer of Kwame Nkrumah, and the discussant of my lecture was none other than Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi of Algeria (former UN Envoy for Syria) who among others, attended the OAU Summits of 1964 and 1965 and knew Nkrumah personally. He too is an admirer of Nkrumah's record as a leader and Pan Africanism pioneer.The audience was treated to both sides of this important story and as Tana Forum Chairman said, they heard the good, the bad and the ugly about African heroism and how it is documented in our history.The main purpose of the lecture obviously is to see if there are any lessons we can take from the most recent history of the Pan Africanism movement and its various leaders of which Nkrumah was one in the late fifties and early sixtiesSo, the blowback was expected and should be encouraged as part of a healthy intellectual debate on African issues.My only regret is that some commentators found it more expedient to attack my person rather than the content of my lecture, but that too is part of what should be expected, I suppose.Please see the email thread below including comments from some of our very own intellectualsMaybe there is still some room to debate this issue some more.Please feel free to express yourselfBestAAMCell : +255 784 311 841Web: www.infotech.co.tz
-------- Original message --------From: seppy NYANG'ORO <jsnyangoro@gmail.com>Date:21/04/2015 01:08 (GMT-05:00)To: Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.comCc: alimufuruki@infotech.co.tzSubject: Re: [Wanazuoni] Ali Mufuruki's Fiery Critique of Nkrumah and Pan-AfricanismLGF,Tell it like it is.Ali Mufuruki descended from his studies in Germany with nothing but benefited from plucking the low hanging fruit in Tanzania. And instead of shutting his mouth and continue to enjoy the undeserved prominence, the man is now biting the hand that fed him.It's truly disgusting that he feels bold enough to criticize the likes of Nkrumah simply because he was awarded a fellowship in Aspen, Colorado where he spent time listening to Walter Isaacson and the rest of know-it-all American wanna-be's.Echoing what EM has said, it is easier to destroy than to build. I personally don't care much for people bent into destroying what has already been built through sweat and sacrifice.Tell me what you think you could do to improve the livelihood of wananchi today. And i would listen.Seppy
Sent from my iPhone. Typos possible
On Apr 20, 2015, at 23:00, George Fumbuka fumbuka1953@gmail.com [Wanazuoni] <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Well, with all due respect, I don't see how Mfuruki can criticise Nkrumah on anything. Nkrumah was experimenting in unfamiliar conditions. He did what he could best as he thought.Ali Mfuruki sold Air Tanzania to SAA single-handedly for 30 pieces of silver. Is this the man? What has he to say about this? Who sent him to this meeting?I still don't have the courage to read what he says about the Osagyefo, honestly.Mwambalule,
Lukani HaiThink big. Begin small. Begin now.Yes. He is the one and only
On Apr 20, 2015, at 22:26, George Fumbuka fumbuka1953@gmail.com [Wanazuoni] <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Bwana Muganda: sahamani lakini, nauliza tu. Huyu Ali Mfuruki ni Mfuruki yupi, ni yule yule aliyeuza Air Tanzania? Please say no.Mwambalule,Lukani Hai.Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 20, 2015, at 10:22 PM, "seppy NYANG'ORO jsnyangoro@gmail.com [Wanazuoni]" <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Ali,Your analysis of Nkrumah's failings is what is commonly referred to as an 'armchair' criticism. It's a bird's eye view which is completely anecdotal and devoid of contextual underpinnings. It's also fair to describe it as an act of intellectual laziness to project Nkrumah's life and times using a rear view mirror.Obviously, you must not be a student of history. Even if you took a cursory examination of the history of post-colonialism worldwide, let alone Africa, you'll realize that the the European colonial masters where heavily invested in the subdue and subjugation policies of the new post-independent nation-states. Be it Indian sub-continent, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia or Latin America and the Caribbean.Put aside Nkrumah for a moment. I think the Tanzanian case has many similarities to that of Ghana, with an exception of the fact that in Tanzania there never occurred a successful coup d'état. Nyerere had to employ those dreaded sedition laws from time to time just to curb what would have been a runaway open hostility towards him. So would you characterize Mwalimu as a failed dictator?Before we get carried away with your uninformed opinions, perhaps the fundamental question is what were your objectives in your futile attempt at shooting down Nkrumah? Are you trying to ascribe pan-Africanism problems to the man? Or are you trying to suggest new ways of forging ahead, completely discarding Nkrumah's contribution? And why exactly do you need to put down the man, before you could introduce new ideas of your own? Or is it that you don't know any better but feel good about yourself by disparaging a man who fought for his convictions.Bwana Mufuruki tafadhali naomba tuache huu wivu wa kike. Andika na wewe vitabu vyako ukikosoa falsafa ya Nkrumah na kutueleza yako.There's introspection and nothingness. I'm afraid yours is the later.Always,Seppy
Sent from my iPhone. Typos possible
On Apr 20, 2015, at 19:45, Chambi Chachage chambi78@yahoo.com [Wanazuoni] <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
FYI: Read the 3 background emails from the author below and copy alimufuruki@infotech.co.tz when responding:---AllI am attaching a lecture I delivered two days ago at the Tana High Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.There were more than 10 current and former African heads of states in the audience.The key message of this lecture was directed not only at historians but also at current and future leaders of AfricaI got a sense it was timely and well received given the reaction that ensuedEnjoyAAM---TDRI thank you so much for your feedback. Words alone cannot capture how much I appreciate the sincerity of your feedback and also the valuable challenges you pose to me.As I said in the speech, I am only an itinerant ideas man, commenting on what I am observing as a dangerous tendency on our part as Africans to rewrite history and in the process lose the priceless lessons that only history can offer mankind.I agree, Nkrumah is but one of the many Africans whose place in history requires rigorous scrutiny. My turn to be judged will come too if I ever attain enough significance to warrant it and it is precisely because I am conscious of that eventuality that I am raising the bar for all, myself included.I have a sense that this speech has started a conversation about many things including the importance we attach to good leadership in AfricaI was happy when both President Obasanjo and Festus Mogae stood up and said, "time has come for Africa to engage in brutal self criticism, we must end the personality cult and raise the standard for good leadership" (Mogae) and "Africa must engage in the vital free exchange of ideas including those we may not like because for me, today's lecture is one of those rare things I am going to take with me back home and learn from" (Obasanjo)There were many others who commented on the same vein and interestingly, not a single person opposed the essence of what I said during the heated plenary discussion that ensued after the lecture.I am very happy with that outcome at least.I know also that quite a few people have been offended and hurt by what comes across as a rather strident attack on Nkrumah's person.This was not my intention and I caveated my statements as much in the speech.Having said that and with the benefit of hindsight, I concede that it was tough, maybe a too tough but ultimately necessary. Time will tell.Once again thank you and best regardsAAM---CCPlease share widely and I appreciate any feedback you can getAAM---__._,_.___
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015
USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Ali Mufuruki's Fiery Critique of Nkrumah and Pan-Africanism
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