Editor,

RE: "Africans need a sea-change in mentality” (The New Times, October 1).

All the arguments raised in the article are very basic; westerners have indeed done terrible things to Africa, but 50 years and counting of independence you can’t continue to blame them as the sole cause of Africa’s problems.

Most of African problems are actually homegrown. Do you want the west to come and clean rubbish in African cities that are stinking, or are they to blame for the theft of almost all public funds in Africa that leaves services crumbling?

If we had more leaders like Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame maybe we would be ahead but with the kind of leaders that we have today, don’t expect the pecking order to change. The pecking order is created by innovation, democracy, education and services.

For example, why is Africa not inventing much or even reverse anything yet technology is at the disposal for everyone today? It’s because our education lacks investment.

African leaders prefer to buy the best modern guns in the world than investing in their countries’ infrastructure and services—the main reason being that the former keeps them in power.

See how Ethiopia has invested in its infrastructure and how fast it’s developing. They have now launched the first light rail system in sub-Saharan Africa; they built it at $450 million, while some other African countries spent way more money on fighter jets

Charles Lusansa Bukenya

**************Highlighting western hypocrisy and the profound effects of western racist ideologies on people does not absolve corruption, incompetence…of many African leaders.

Africa and the rest of the world have the right and the obligation to question the instrumentalisation, injustice and undemocratic nature of "international intuitions” that perpetuate inequality, poverty, conflicts…and ask reform.

Through many forms of western indoctrinations many African politicians are still in a state of mental lethargy and just accept their "partners” advices on national policies that keep draining their countries’ wealth.

If it isn’t mental colonisation, then how can you explain that there are "14 African countries forced to pay colonial tax to France”?

The report raises serious issues of effective brainwashing resulting in total submission to the west. There are many Africans who still believe in the fallacious theory of white superiority and they need a wakeup call.

Without this awareness of self-worth it is quasi impossible for them to change their lot.

Ndoli Sabi