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Writes Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
When I become President, I will ban foreign aid on my first day in office. For too long, foreign aid has been a tool used by powerful nations to maintain control over weaker states, particularly in Africa. It is not designed to uplift the people but rather to advance the strategic and economic interests of foreign governments.
The Myth of Foreign Aid: Control, Not Development
Foreign aid, especially from institutions like USAID, has been weaponized to manipulate African economies, politics, and governance. Under the guise of ‘assistance,’ billions of dollars have flowed into organizations that promote the interests of Western governments rather than the well-being of the African people.
Zimbabwe, like many other African nations, has been a victim of these neo-colonial schemes, where foreign-funded NGOs push external agendas that do not align with our national sovereignty, culture, and development priorities.
Instead of helping nations develop, foreign aid has created a cycle of dependency, weakening our economic sovereignty. It allows foreign actors to dictate policies, control resources, and influence governance in a way that undermines African self-determination.
Afrocentric Governance: The Only Way Forward
To break free from this cycle, we must embrace Afrocentric Governance, a governance system rooted in African values, traditions, and economic self-sufficiency. This means rejecting external interference and building institutions that prioritize the needs of Africans rather than the interests of external powers.
An Afrocentric governance model would focus on:
- Resource Nationalism – ensuring that Africa’s wealth, from minerals to agriculture, is controlled and utilized by African states for the benefit of their people.
- Industrialization and Self-Reliance – building African industries that process raw materials locally instead of exporting them cheaply to foreign powers.
- Economic Decolonization – cutting reliance on Western financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, which have enslaved African nations with debt and structural adjustment programs.
Africa Needs Economic Freedom, Not Foreign Handouts
The over-reliance on donor funding has kept Africa in perpetual poverty. Foreign aid comes with conditions that force African nations to implement policies that serve the interests of donors rather than their own citizens. This is why Africa remains the richest continent in terms of natural resources but the poorest in terms of economic development.
Africa does not need aid. Africa needs reparations. The same nations that enslaved, colonized, and looted Africa’s wealth now pose as ‘saviors’ offering aid. True justice would mean demanding reparations for the centuries of exploitation that left our economies crippled.
Breaking Free: A New Financial Order for Africa
To truly liberate itself, Africa must build its own financial institutions, funded by African states, for African development. This includes:
- An African Central Bank that is not controlled by Western financial interests.
- An African Monetary Fund to replace the IMF, where African nations can borrow without Western-imposed conditions.
- An African Development Bank that funds infrastructure, education, and industrial projects with African money, free from foreign influence.
Africa Must Exit the UN and Form a True African Union
The United Nations, like other global institutions, has failed Africa. African nations are often sidelined, treated as second-class members, and subjected to policies that do not serve their interests.
Instead of remaining in a system designed to keep Africa subordinate, African nations should withdraw from the UN and form a new, truly African Union, one that is not funded by the West or the East but by African nations themselves.
This new union would:
- Be free from Western and Eastern influence, ensuring true sovereignty.
- Focus on Pan-African unity and development, strengthening intra-African trade and cooperation.
- Establish a continental defense system to protect African nations from external interference and military threats.
Superpower Bullies Can Only Be Defeated Through Self-Reliance
The global superpowers have maintained their dominance by keeping Africa weak and divided. They fund conflicts, impose economic sanctions, and control international markets to ensure that Africa remains a supplier of raw materials rather than a self-sustaining powerhouse.
The only way to defeat these superpower bullies is through self-reliance:
- Managing our own resources instead of allowing foreign corporations to exploit them.
- Producing our own goods and services instead of depending on imports.
- Building strong, independent governance systems that serve the people rather than foreign interests.
Conclusion: A New Dawn for Africa
Africa is at a crossroads. We can either continue being beggars in a world that thrives on our exploitation, or we can stand up, take control of our destiny, and chart a new path of self-reliance, economic freedom, and true independence.
When I take office, the first step in this journey will be to ban foreign aid and set Zimbabwe on a path to genuine sovereignty. From there, we will work to inspire the rest of Africa to break free and establish a united, independent, and self-sufficient continent.
The time for Africa’s economic liberation is now. We must act. We must build. We must own our future.
Linda Masarira is the President of the Labour, Economists, and African Democrats (LEAD) party
