https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/2025/05/26/pan-africanism-now-a-hallow-concept-abused-to-shield-corrupt-repressive-leaders/ *_PLEASE SHARE_* *Pan-Africanism now a hallow concept abused to shield corrupt repressive leaders* _BY Tendai Ruben Mbofana_ *PAN-AFRICANISM shouldn’t be a cover for corruption and repression.* On this Africa Day, it is important to reflect not only on our history of liberation from colonial rule, but on the quality and sincerity of those who have since claimed the torch of Pan-Africanism. It is even more critical to question whether some of those parading themselves as champions of African identity, sovereignty and pride are not, in fact, the very people causing the most harm to the continent and its citizens. If Pan-Africanism is to remain a legitimate and respected ideology, then it must be rescued from those who use it as a refuge to conceal their betrayal of the people they claim to love. *_To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08_* I am often accused of being unpatriotic and anti-African simply because I criticize the ruling elite in Zimbabwe. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. My commitment to Africa and its people runs deeper than flag-waving rhetoric or slogans shouted from podiums. I have, like many others, risked my safety and reputation not to defend foreign interests but to stand up for ordinary Africans—Zimbabwean mothers, fathers, and children—whose lives have been destroyed by the greed, violence and incompetence of those in power. What greater patriotism can there be than to speak out when those who rule us choose personal enrichment over national service? Unfortunately, the loudest voices proclaiming Pan-Africanism today are often those who have overseen or benefited from systems that have brutalized their fellow citizens. They beat their chests, denounce imperialism, and call out the West—while living lavishly off stolen wealth, often hidden in the very countries they condemn. They extol the virtues of African sovereignty while flying abroad for medical treatment, enrolling their children in European and American schools, and investing their stolen riches in Western real estate. Is that Pan-Africanism—or is it just self-serving hypocrisy dressed in revolutionary garb? This is not theory. It is not abstract. It is personal. I have witnessed, firsthand, individuals who ruined the lives of countless Zimbabweans through gross mismanagement and corruption, now posturing as defenders of African dignity. They use Pan-African rhetoric to whitewash their crimes and deflect criticism. Some once acquired state-owned enterprises—pillars of Zimbabwean industry and service delivery—only to run them into the ground through nepotism, absentee leadership, and outright looting. Workers who once earned a living wage and dreamed of a decent pension are today destitute. Many never saw a cent of their terminal benefits. Some have since died in poverty. And yet, these same people now present themselves as voices of African liberation, appearing on public platforms to denounce Western countries as agents of African suffering. One such individual left Zimbabwe to work in the very West she demonizes. From the comfort of her life abroad, she lauds the Zimbabwean government for its supposed progress and condemns critics as agents of neo-colonialism. Meanwhile, those she left behind suffer the consequences of her failed leadership. If her love for Zimbabwe and its government is so pure, why not live and work in the country she so praises? This is not unique to one individual. Across the continent, Pan-Africanism has become the favorite camouflage of tyrants, looters, and oppressors. From the late Robert Mugabe to the current regime under Emmerson Mnangagwa, leaders have cloaked their brutal repression, economic incompetence, and contempt for human rights in the language of African pride. Mugabe was celebrated in some circles as a Pan-African hero, even as he presided over the massacre of thousands in Matabeleland and Midlands, crushed dissent, and bankrupted the economy. Mnangagwa continues that legacy—undermining constitutional rule, weaponizing the law against critics, and overseeing a looting spree that has seen billions in gold, diamonds, and other national assets vanish without accountability. Yet every Africa Day, we are bombarded with speeches about sovereignty, resilience, and anti-imperialism—by the very people who impoverish us, abuse us, and silence us. They point fingers at colonialism while ignoring the fact that it is their own greed and violence keeping millions of Africans in destitution. Zimbabwe today has a government that cannot provide basic drugs in public hospitals, cannot pay teachers and nurses decent wages, and cannot even keep the lights on—yet it boasts about resisting foreign domination. What freedom is there when half the country lives in extreme poverty and schoolchildren learn under trees? The truth is painful but must be spoken. The lives of many Zimbabweans were materially better during the colonial era than they are today. That is not to romanticize colonialism—it was a system of racial oppression and exploitation—but rather to expose the betrayal of those who inherited the levers of power. The state-owned health enterprise that was once a model of efficiency under colonial management has collapsed under so-called Pan-Africanist ownership. Workers are now unpaid, pensions vanished, equipment rusting, and buildings crumbling. Who are the real enemies of the people? How can one claim to be a Pan-Africanist when they do not even pay their workers’ wages? When they destroy the livelihoods of millions and call it empowerment? When they silence journalists, abduct activists, and rig elections—yet still find time to tweet about decolonizing Africa? Pan-Africanism should never be a cover for failure, tyranny, or selfishness. It is meant to be a liberatory force—a belief in the unity, dignity, and advancement of African peoples. But when that banner is waved by those who steal, kill, and deceive in our name, then we must wrest it from their hands and redefine it ourselves. On this Africa Day, I refuse to be lectured by thieves in revolutionary clothing. I will not be silenced by accusations of being anti-African when I speak out against injustice. Africa does not belong to the political elite. It belongs to the people—the hungry, the homeless, the overworked and underpaid, the sick with no medicine, the children with no books, the mothers with no water, and the workers with no pensions. If we are to build the Africa of our dreams, we must first expose the lie at the heart of fake Pan-Africanism. We must name and shame those who have brought ruin upon their people while hiding behind anti-Western slogans. We must demand a Pan-Africanism rooted not in slogans but in service—one that prioritizes clean governance, human dignity, and economic justice. The time has come to reclaim Pan-Africanism from those who abuse it—and to remind them that being African means loving, respecting, and uplifting Africans. *_● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: [email protected], or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/_*