IMPERIALIST PROPAGANDA-THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THAT AFRICA IS YEARNING FOR THE RETURN OF EUROPEAN COLONIAL MASTERS

Has Africa gone full circle from blaming the ills afflicting the continent on previous European colonial masters, to now yearning for their return and wishing they had never left in the first place? That is the latest imperialist propaganda being peddled by one UK media outlet.

A story featured in BBC's Newsnight television programme woefully attempted to suggest Sierra Leonians are almost begging for the return of Britain as a colonial master.

True, the UK played a decisive role in ending the Sierra Leone civil war that had torn the country asunder and exposed its citizens to untold suffering. So you would expect the same people to speak highly of the British, from the point of view of being grateful to their 'almighty liberator.'

But the reporter, Allan Little, seemed to go overboard in his quest to question the apparent satisfaction with neo-colonialism in Sierra Leone. A clear misrepresentation of circumstances in my opinion, to generalize an assumption. This is how he he puts it:

"It is more than 50 years since the British left Sierra Leone and the country embraced independence, while the whole of the continent of Africa freed itself from the shackles of colonial domination. But now Sierra Leone wants its former colonisers to return with more help."

He seems to especially find delight in repeatedly asking Sierra Leone's Finance minister, whether the country is happy with the way Britain is once again dictating the political affairs of that West African state, and 'feigns' disbelief, when the minister says the former colonial master should even exert more influence.

In other words, the BBC reporter appears to be on a covert mission to glorify colonialism and deride Africa's quest for self-determination and independence from the British Empire imperial domination. It's almost like saying the struggles for independence were in vain.







Isn't it it ironic and amazing that the widely experienced and critically acclaimed Allan Little can belabour the point that many people in Sierra Leone cannot find a way out of poverty and prescribe British solutions, at a time when the UK is grappling with unprecedented economic difficulties and is in the process of implementing austerity measures to manage it's budgetary deficit?

MANAGING A HOSTILE STUDIO GUEST: THE FREE VIEWS TRAP

This experience of Africa 360 current affairs TV programme host in South Africa brings to the fore the intricate matter of managing hostile studio guests. Clearly, things can get out of hand.

Typical perhaps of all hard-line politicians, Andre Visagie, the Secretary General of the white supremacist Afrikaner outfit AWB, sought to forcefully defend his views, irrespective of whether they were fair comment, on the explosive race relation subject.

And the political commentator Lebohang Pheko was unrelenting in her push to pin down the visibly agitated Visagie, stressing that his argument was out of line.

And caught in between is the host Chris Maroleng, momentarily reduced to a spectator before the dramatic transition of the debate into an outburst, walkout and threats.

Ideally, the programme host should act as a moderator, constantly watching out for rising temperatures and actively seeking to cool down the tempers in timely interjections.

When the host is not in control, anything goes. Chris should have noticed the besieged Vasigie showing signs of turning violent and perhaps change the subject by asking a different question.

The lesson to me here, plainly speaking, is that a programme host cannot afford to be passive, especially in an explosive debate but should instead steer the discussion proactively but not in a reactionary manner.

And yes. It may be desirable for the media to seek to be all inclusive and accommodative to divergent views. But that in essence, is also inviting insensitive or intolerable views, in the name of safeguarding the freedom of expression.