The terminology ‘Shithole’ has all of a sudden gained global attention courtesy a ‘non-Shitholer.’ First of all, let’s walk through the lexical meaning of a ‘Shithole’. A googled meaning of the term is ‘an extremely dirty, shabby, or otherwise unpleasant place.’ If the meaning is anything to go by, then ‘shithole’ is such a huge derogatory statement to be used on a particular class of the Human race.
I’m not in any way going to justify Trump’s statement on Africans , people of colour and less developed nations of the world. Inasmuch as the victims of his statement would condemn and as well want him to apologize, let’s take a look at the angle from which he tagged Africans and the likes as ‘shitholes’ to know if the demanded apology is a necessary call on the ‘powerful’ president.
Before his journey to the White House, the then business tycoon (now president) of the United States, Donald Trump has made a lot of Controversial statements about the African continent and the Black race which has not gone so well with the African people. His recent comment in which he is believed to have referred to Africans as ‘shitholes’ seems to add more dirt to the skin of the African. Frankly speaking, President Trump has been blunt, Frank and straightforward when projecting the ills of the ‘Black Continent.’
Before we put his head on the chopping board, let we as Africans assess ourselves to know whether or not we deserve the ‘bitter-truths’ he has been spewing against us over the years.
Ghana like any other African nation is no different from what Trump calls a ‘Shithole.’ Foreign aid dependency is like a norm to us. In African, common sense that has been abused overtime has become a norm and whoever speaks against it is an Anti-African.
Won’t we be called a ‘shithole’ if we think higher education and quality healthcare is best provided abroad ?
Won’t we be called a ‘Shithole’ if we award contract to foreign agencies for our basic infrastructural developments to the detriment of our locally trained experts?
Why aren’t we shithole if we continually educate our people to become unemployed graduates and employees instead of entrepreneurs and innovators?
Now, assuming that Trump should apologize, that tag of a Sithole will not be far from our necks for obvious reasons.
If Trump should apologize,
By the next day, a ‘shithole’ will sell on the pavement waiting for a city guard (abaayei) to come and compel him/her to do the right thing.
By the next day, we will continue to think that everything African is the worst and the best comes from the west.
By the next day, politicians of ‘shithole’ nations will draft a budget and seek for fundings else than within.
It is kind of heartbreaking how the African leaders have over the years failed our generation and most likely the next. On the grounds of corruption, our leaders show little or no sign of patriotism and are very eager to sell the good fortunes and blessings of the African continent for nothing but a meager dollar. This coupled with other unkept acts has left a big scar on the dignity of the African and commands little respect for the entire continent.
Trump is not the first to pinpoint the woes of Africans to the face. PLO Lumumba has been talking about the tragedies of Africa for decades and we seem not to have paid heed to his plea.
Ask yourself why former president Jerry John Rawlings recently said ‘I wish I could rule again for at least a year.’ Maybe to clean up a heap of mess in the country yet again.
There are zillions of reasons for the ‘shithole’ comments from Trump. If Trump has a problem, then maybe we also have a problem. I once asked a very learned father of mine a question and his answer was enough to suspend my next question to him. I asked, ‘Dad, what’s the greatest problem of we Africans? ‘ After a deep breath, he calmly said, ‘Kwaku, our problem is, we don’t know our problem and that’s our problem. ”
Trump’s statement may be a good call to Africans to develop her own if we hate to be treated like people from unpleasant place. It’s about time Africans come together to realize development in unity. Our reputation outside has been indelibly soiled.
For as long as we don’t change the way we think, our selfishness and greed and even how we identify ourselves, we will continue to be seen as a ‘shithole’ in the lense of the powerful.
With the above being stated, I leave the conclusion to the rational Ghanaian and the victims of the ‘shithole’ comment across the globe to decipher whether or not Trump’s statement is justifiable and if indeed, an apology is necessary after all.
Piesie Godfred 