The Amani team were privileged enough to receive a talk from Ambassador Mosholi. This freedom fighter, exilee, diplomat, and mother shared her lifetime of wisdom as well as her musings on the current state of South Africa, pan-Africanism, and the global political sphere in which she operates.
Exiled in 1976, Naomi Ribbon Mosholi, received her intelligence and military training in the Soviet Union. Post liberation she found herself working in the democratically elected South African Government. Playing her part in South Africa’s re-introduction to the world, she received a diplomatic posting in Germany. Ambassador Mosholi had unique perspective to offer us based on her experience working in the South African embassy and being a United Nations observer in New York during exile.
Our key priority should be education, specifically deccolonised education.
- Ambassador Ribbon Mosholi
The Ambassador gave the Amani team lots to reflect on. One of the key takeaways for our team is particularly relevant on this Africa Day. We picked her brain about whether democracy as it is implemented across the African continent is fit for purpose.
Ambassador Mosholi acknowledged the nuances of such a broad topic but was able to give a decisive answer as to what the key priority should be. Overall education, but specifically a decolonised education. She noted that the education system favours the colonial masters, from the perception that it creates for young Africans to the way that politicians are conveyored into office. As Africans we need to think about ways of defeating the mental colonisation that is still present on the continent, and undoubtedly cripples us in our solutions based thinking.
Two interesting examples in the world’s top 10 economies (By GDP) are China and India. Twenty years ago neither of these countries featured anywhere close to being economic superpowers, yet through long term planning and applying solutions that were developed in the right contexts they have carved out a well-deserved place for themselves in global economic circles.
Of course Africa faces unique problems and has not yet fully shed the traumas of colonisation. It often feels as though many external actors have a vested interest in keeping Africa divided and stagnant. It, also, should not be taken for granted that China and India share many of these same traumas. So clearly there are ways for African countries to work towards overcoming the difficulties of the 20th and early 21st century. Is the solution a stronger oversight from the African Union? Do we need to rethink the colonial borders we have inherited? It is difficult to say for sure, but it all begins with a longer term vision and African leaders investing in their people.