Truggering a Development Explosion: Yoweri Museveni

Triggering a Development Explosion


The Monitor (Kampala)

December 15, 2005 Posted to the web December 14, 2005
Yoweri MuseveniKampala
Africans are now 850 million people in number. This is heartening because by 1900, we were only 110 million people yet we live on a continent that is 11 million square miles in land area. We were, therefore, very much under-populated then.
These 850 million Africans are divided into 4 linguistic groups: the Afro-Asiatic Linguistic group of languages (Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya); the Nilo-Saharan Linguistic group of languages (Luo, Oromo, Nilo-Hamitic, Somali, Nubian, etc); the Niger-Congo Linguistic group of languages (the Bantu dialects, the Kwa languages, etc); and the Khoisan (the small language of Southern Africa).
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and DRC form a bridge between two of the language groups of Africa: the Nilo-Saharan and the Niger-Congo groups of languages.
The Bantu group of languages and dialects belong to the latter group. Many of the peoples that populate Southern Africa speak Bantu dialects apart from the smaller group that speaks the San languages (Khoisan).
I am very much interested in African languages. As part of that effort, I am about to publish, along with academicians of Makerere University, a Thesaurus of the Runyankore-Rukiga dialect that is part of the interlacustrine groups of Bantu languages of the Great Lakes area. These interlacustrine Bantu dialects are really one language because they are nearly mutually intelligible.
When we publish this Thesaurus, it will be our initial step in demonstrating that some of the African languages are much richer than the European languages - certainly richer than English. As part of decolonisation we must preserve, promote and synthesize these dialects and languages.
I am always intensely interested in the Bantu dialects of Southern Africa. It is incredible to notice how our ancestors dispersed over this huge continent and, eventually defended it against invaders by their numbers, by their presence and their culture, including the very Bantu languages. When I hear the brothers and sisters in Southern Africa use the words: Sauboona (from kubona - in my dialect, meaning to find which is lost, but used in Southern Africa to mean to see), inkatha (to mean engata, enkata), Mufaazi (meaning mukazi), I feel very much elated.
Northwards, deep into Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo, Chad, etc, our Nilotic people link us with the ancient Nilotic and Hamitic peoples of Africa.
Why am I saying all this? It is because 11 years ago the march of Africa's political freedom reached the Cape of Good Hope. This meant that, at least nominally, Africa was independent from Cairo to Cape.
This nominal independence must be turned into real independence, prosperity and eternal security for the African peoples. One element of that independence is language.
Swahili
In Uganda we have evolved a three-language policy: using our indigenous languages in their respective areas (Districts or Provinces), while promoting the use of Swahili and continuing to use English. Swahili is a Bantu dialect, but a detribalised one that belongs to no ethnic group. It has got, however, limited vocabulary. The hinterland Bantu and Nilotic dialects have got richer vocabulary but are limited in geographical extension.
We, therefore, hope to enrich Swahili with the vocabulary of the hinterland languages so that it really becomes the Black man's language, if necessary, the globe over. You cannot have people without a language. Besides, these languages encapsulated important and unique social and philosophical concepts which are important, not only for the Black people, but for the whole of the human race.
The freedom we achieved must, therefore, be used to protect our ancient heritage and using it to preserve our identity and make a contribution to human civilisation.
Recovering and preserving our identity, including our languages, however, will not be enough to preserve our independence and ensure our prosperity.
The imperialists neither care nor respect other people's languages or cultures. What they respect is power. The African peoples, therefore, need to use our freedom to create African power in economy, science, politics and the military.
Non-African powers have been to space and the Moon. Africans are just barely able to feed themselves. The main cause of this is ourselves, now that the imperialists have withdrawn from the African Continent.
India has used the short period from independence (1947) to today to stand up once and for all time. So has China. Why hasn't Africa done the same?
As you know, we have been discussing these issues. We are continuing to do so. We have agreed to work, not only for economic integration of Africa but also for her political integration.
Where possible we need to amalgamate the present independent states of Africa to form stronger political and economic units. We have discussed the advantages in a number of meetings with His Excellency Thabo Mbeki.
What is, however, most threatening are the strategic considerations. There are those who want to re-dominate the world. Working with other freedom loving peoples, we shall not allow them to do so.
We must have a more civilised and just world order. The present parasitic system must end. In order to do this, we must carry out the political integration in order to plan together, not only for economic and political matters but also for defence and strategic issues including scientific research and development.
Federation
In East Africa we are working for the East African Federation involving Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We think that it is easiest to achieve political integration here in East Africa. This unity will, then, work as a catalyst for a wider political integration in order to guarantee our future in this parasitic world.
During the 300 years that slaves were being torn from Africa, there were Popes and Archbishops of Canterbury. What did they say and do during this time? We are the only ones that can guarantee our future.
In order to achieve this we need to bring together the liberation movements and progressive political parties in Africa. We have discussed this issue exhaustively and agreed on the way forward.
On the bilateral side, we have set up the Commissions to pull our potentials (for Uganda and South Africa), which are considerable, together so that we achieve rapid results.
The population of South Africa is approximately 48 million people. The population of Uganda is now 28 million people, but by 2015, it will be about 40 million people and, by 2025 it will be about 54 million people. The population of South Africa is of course growing.
Therefore the combined potential of Uganda and South Africa both now and in the future is considerable. This is not including our East African partners - Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, whereby our combined population is currently 110 million people.
The economy of Uganda has been growing fast but in low investment, low technology and quick returns-enterprises such as bars, hair-saloons, houses for offices and residences, hotels, shops, transport, professional services (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc), some processing facilities (factories) run by Ugandan-Indians and other Ugandans, some farming by plantation-owners, and large-scale farmers, etc.
We have, however, a serious gap when it comes to medium and large scale-enterprises that require US$20 million, US$100 or US$500 million. These are textile mills to use our cotton; coffee roasters and grinders for our coffee; factories for tobacco, leather, fruits, dairy products, beef, fish, timber, minerals such as coltan, cobalt, phosphates and petroleum, railways, power stations, etc.
In nuclear Physics there is what is called binary fusion - putting together two parts that result in creating a critical mass for an explosion.
Relevant Links
East Africa Uganda Sustainable Development
Uganda and South Africa, given our different resource-bases and history, can create that binary-fusion that will trigger that development explosion.

* This is an edited version of a speech that President Museveni gave on Tuesday before inviting visiting South African leader Thabo Mbeki to address the Ugandan Parliament