Africa is living under neocolonialism.

African academic, Dr Firoze Manji, says that in almost every case in Africa so-called “independence” was negotiated. He explains that instead of the colonial state being transformed, it was occupied. For example, the liberation army was incorporated into the existing police force with no transformation in its functions, which was to protect colonial interests and transnational corporations.

He further noted that the only change was the de-racialisation of these forces and dressing them up in the national flag. But he notes that this problematic, as a military tank cannot be converted into a hospital, therefore everything needs to be changed.

Due to the state being occupied, Manji contends that African governments ended up fulfilling the colonisers’ functions. He says like the colonial state, which saw the people as the enemy, gradually after independence those in government followed the same view. Manji pointed to the Marikana massacre, questioning what kind of independence had actually been achieved in Africa.

The continent is observing Africa Day. It commemorates the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. The organisation was tasked with driving decolonisation and had pledged to support freedom fighters, and remove military access to colonial nations. The OAU was the precursor to the African Union (AU).