By Dr David Matsanga in Africa
Today is a great day in Britain – I voted via post long time ago for Labour Party in my constituency in Surrey. By the end of the day the Labour Party that I have been a member for over 37 years will win with a landslide. I happy that Sunak will fall today because he is a businessman but not political scientist.
The new Labour government will come with new policies that will affect Africa. But my happiness is that Sunak will go. Mr.Rishi Sunak will go back to back benches and discuss the Rwanda Refugee saga without any support. These changes will be very strategic for Africa because Labour Party listens to Africa.
As things look splendid in United Kingdom, across the English Channel in France where Sunak’s boat refugee nightmare came from, a new wind of danger of Right wing extremism is growing in France. In few years to come it might be only Britain that will not have a right wing political leadership.
As literature scholar It would been easier to begin today’s article with a quote from W. B. Yeats’ The Second Coming. Many of you are like reading. You should read that book. Then see the type of mafia teams sweeping over Europe. In France things have been worse and they will be worse for Africans there.
As an African I am used to the book of Chinua Achebe called “things fall apart” and the words that are in like “the centre cannot hold”. This is what I can predict for Europe. But again, I want rise high and see the other reflection, I am not going to allow Africa to go that way Europe is going. I have read the books of Dr. Seuss and he feels more apposite. I will not.
I want to allow those who can read children books on line to try reading Dr Seuss books. For those who might not have children or without small children or long memories, the books are about a young boy who lays in bed, declaring to his mother and the world that he simply will not get up today. It is me.
I am one of those few Africans who says I can’t give up on Africa and I have said that France is the enemy of Africa. I have said that France should have left Africa long time ago. Almost every former colony of France has war or conflict.
France killed Libya and the leader. The French would not listen to some of us when we were warning the world about Libya: “I guess now President Emmanuel Macron must start listening because things are serious in his country with a right-wing leader coming power soon”.
What I ask my readers today is to bear with me, as I turn a bit to the Sunday’s French parliamentary elections. These elections brought in the deadliest woman on earth Marine Le Pen who might become the President of France. Her policies on Africans and migrants are horrible.
Following a disastrous performance in May 2024 European elections, President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election, seeking a “clarification” from voters. Essentially, he sought to call their bluff. But things turned ugly on him and he will go down in history
I always tell Africans to pray that such crude guys who have brought misery to Africa like Sarkozy end up in Jail. Macron’s calculation was that voters may not be content to support the far-right in elections that they consider distant and unimportant, but when it matters, they would return to the mainstream fold. He miscalculated and worst nightmare of woman who hates Africans and migrants in Europe is sweeping him out of power.
Like the British PM who will trounced today’s elections after failing to send refugees to Rwanda Macron faces the same chopping knife. The ploy of a snap election failed spectacularly. The French have chosen to back Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) a second time, the French demonstrated to their Macron that they were indeed fed up and serious.
Like the Tory Party in UK that will be washed out today July 4, 2024 the President’s centrist coalition, Ensemble, has been sent to a distant third. The truth is that it is only in Britain where moderate parties will take power but it seems the whole Europe is moving towards ultranationalist parties as stated at the beginning.
Like the outgoing French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has said there is a “moral duty” to prevent Le Pen’s party from gaining a majority in the National Assembly the former British Prime Minister Boris lamented that if Labour Party takes power Britain will be in hell. But let me remind Boris Johnson that for that not happen today and to avoid such an outcome today would require a huge miracle from God.
How does Africa shape its policies towards the two scenarios in Europe and UK? What does this mean for Africa? Shall we have opposition parties in Africa running to Europe or Britain for help like what Ugandan opposition and Zimbabwe opposition do? I tell you that strategist of both governments must begin to figure out what next out the new Labour Government coming on Friday.
Whichever case it emerges Africa is at risk. It is now clear that there is a spectre of the first far-right government in France since the Second World War and both Britain and Africa must be worried. It does raise uncomfortable questions for the UK government. and for the rest of Africa.
Join me to celebrate an early Labour Party victory.
The writer is a Pan Africanist based in London, Political scientist & International Relations expert, studied conflict Resolution, a member of Royal African Society (RAS) Founder /Chairman Pan African Forum (UK)Ltd @MatsangaDr
