A giant Scholar of Pan-Africanism

By Melaku Ayele

He has worked at and still continues to collaborate with institutions in the USA, England, China, Russia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ethiopia and locally in South Africa. Professor Muchie earned his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development at the University of Sussex, in the United Kingdom. As a researcher he is held in high esteem by some high-ranking universities the world over. For instance he serves as a Senior Research Associate at the TMD Centre of Oxford University in England. In addition to that he taught and done research work at Cambridge and Middlesex Universities in the same country.

Pan-Africanism according to Professor Muchie requires that all Africans be free from all neo-colonialism or economic slavery under Europeans as is the case in South Africa. He advocates that this is necessary in order that Africa re-emerge with economic structures that belong to Africans and not Europeans or Asians. According to Muchie Pan-Africanism also requires that Africans regard themselves as Africans first before their clan, ethnicity or religious affiliations. For example this means that a person in Kenya or South Africa are Africans before they are Christians and Africans before they are of the Kikuyu or Zulu tribe and that they are Africans before they are men or women. This, he advocates will develop the necessary mind-set and courage in us to implement African freedom and unity in order that we contribute to the rest of human civilization.

According to Muchie, the children of Africa have to take centre stage in terms of Pan-African policy making. He advocates the whole revamping of our educational system in order that we replace it with a curriculum that addresses the economic challenges that this continent faces. It is his conviction that we stop making icons and heroes of our European oppressors in school curriculums. This highlights how crucial the content within education is. He says that African-centred books have to form a regular part of the everyday life of the African child. Children on this continent have to read about and see heroes and heroines that look like them.

These books must come from independent African publishing houses, which offer African children the success stories of those who look like them. African children have to be conditioned into the reality that Africa is the cradle of civilisation. They have to study and know the fact that the great pyramids of Giza belong to them and are a product of black Africans.

Many Africans themselves ridicule Africa but fail to acknowledge the extent to which 500 years of invasions from Europe and the Arab slave trade have sought only to hide Africa's achievements. They fail to acknowledge generations of false histories that blatantly lie about Africa. This fabricated narrative about Africa not making a single contribution and being the abode of slaves only serves to justify her own destruction he says. This fabricated story continues into our present day where the media and literature constantly promotes the myth of a white saviour.

Professor Muchie tells us that these all serve as tools to dominate and oppress us. He acknowledges that the Internet should and can be utilised as a medium for Africans to network in disseminating knowledge amongst each other.He further advises us to apply the knowledge available in such sources so that we create, innovate and sell products that will make us a competitive group in the international arena.

This all requires that governments, primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions, the African owned private sector, state research laboratories and financial institutions cooperate and contribute to this necessary aim. Professor Muchie's. He said ‘‘education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

African states as a union have to have a joint ambitious plan for themselves with the same determination with which Europeans planned our slavery and colonisation. Muchie recommends that we all regularly read the writings Fanon and Nkrumah because Africa has not accomplished what these pioneers have. Nkrumah said that ‘‘Africa must unite or perish" which is a testament to his legacy. ."Harambee Africa" meaning, "Pull together" requires that we unite against poverty and neo-colonialism.

Source: Melaku Ayele's FB