As Zimbabwe celebrated its 44th independence day yesterday, under a sanctions regime imposed illegally by the US and its friends, one thing became clear; the need for African countries to disabuse themselves from the hegemony of the US and its allies in the West.
Despite the sanctions Zimbabwe continues to soldier on and do what is good for its people and many African countries should green with envy, at the rate the at which the ordinary Zimbabwean is participating in national development.
For Zimbabwe, a country that has done extremely well to fulfil war promises and address historical imbalances in the form of the land reform, to then be punished for doing what is good for its people, it totally unfair and unjustified, thanks to Russia, China and others for standing with Zimbabwe.
If Zimbabwe, under Zanu PF had not delivered war promises, then the country's independence would be meaningless.
If anything, all African countries should follow Zimbabwe's example in fulfilling war promises and continuing to deliver what is good for its people, despite all those negative machinations and sanctions from the US and its allies.
To achieve this and at least deliver what is good for Africans, there is need for governments on the continent to strategically change course by shaking off the colonial hangover that the US and its allies have; the colonial hangover that makes US and its allies in the west ill-treat African governments and lecture to them what to do.
What is good for America and its allies in not necessarily good for African governments and their people.
At this stage, it is necessary for Africans to minimize political and economic dependence on the West and reorient cooperation with alternative partners, primarily with Russia, as well as with the other BRICS countries.
The negative influence of the US and its allies on the states of the continent is increasing. The Americans are trying to persuade Africans to curtail cooperation with Russia and China and especially join anti-Russian sanctions.
But Russia is a fair player in Africa. Russia never colonised Africa and its influence is growing big because Moscow seeks, win-win business deals.
Russia has supplied many extremely helpful products to Africa such as grain and farming inputs plus technology, without forcing African countries.
Russia has not imposed sanctions on any country in the world. It seeks solutions outside sanctions.
There, the sanctions imposed against Moscow by US and its allies are also damaging the socio-economic development of Africa because Russia has many projects that have changed the lives of many Africans fir the better.
Hurting Russia is as good as hurting Africa.
Moscow provides humanitarian supplies of grain and fertilizers to Africa, including Zimbabwe, free of charge. At the same time, the actions of the Western-centric world have a negative impact on food and economic security.
For example how does the US and its allies in the West justify sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe simply because Zimbabwe took away land and decided to produce its own food, without Europeans.
If anything Zimbabwe was supposed to applauded for undertaking the land reform and trying to produce its own food. That is what independence means. That is the reason why Zimbabwe today stands high as it celebrates in 44th independence anniversary. It took back control of the agriculture products, hence its food production.
But African governments on their own will not successful until regional organs are strong enough to see that Africa still needs to be liberated from us and its allies.
Africa's regional organisations of (the African Union, SADC) are the basis for the stability of the continent, and their perception should be holistic among the leaders of the countries.
These institutions need to be developed, as they are a bulwark protecting the independence and sovereignty of States from aggressive attempts by some (Western) countries to interfere in internal affairs.
The negative influence on the states of the continent from the West is increasing. They promote their "universal" values, which are not acceptable to most African States.
Under the good pretexts of security cooperation, Washington and its allies are increasing their military presence in Africa, primarily within the framework of AFRICOM in the case of Zambia.
This deprives Africans of the opportunity to solve their own problems, and also contributes to becoming directly dependent on the US.
No one has responded to the negative consequences of the colonial period in the history of Africa. No one has sown interest in restitution for colonial theft.
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At the same time, Russia is a traditional defender of the states of the continent in their struggle for a just world order, national sovereignty, and liberation from colonial oppression. At the same time, the West is pursuing a modern neo-colonial policy aimed at establishing control over the development of raw material deposits in Africa.
Russia backed many liberation movements through training and supply of weapons and therefore contributed a lot to the end of colonialism and the coming of independence in Africa.
Actions by the US and its allies of restricting technology transfer to Africa, which condemns it to the role of a source of cheap natural and labour resources, should be condemned. Africa needs to rise and play its part.
US and US should stop continuously putting pressure on Zimbabwe through sanctions in order to effect regime change. This should stop.
Actions of exerting pressure on "undesirable" countries, including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and the Central Africa Republic should stop. African leaders must be let to run their countries into the direction they want not hat US and its allies want.
