Rich but poor South Africa : a philosophical excursion from colonialism to post-colonialism

Abstract

The scramble for Africa immediately led to colonisation in Africa. When the colonialists took ownership, they changed people's mindsets and instilled in them an inferiority complex which made them despise themselves. Africa was divided into imagined states that became the economic and material property of the colonisers. Some African states ceded the land and inhabitants to the colonisers, making them foreigners in their place of birth. Relinquishing ownership of the land meant the colonisers appropriated the natural mineral resources which came with the land. To ensure total possession, the management of the resources was affected by the colonising power. From this historical fact, the paper examines how Africa was systematically impoverished and exploited economically. This paper further highlights how rich South Africa became poor South Africa by attaching the land and mineral resources by colonisers and how that led to its indebtedness. This indebtedness to the colonisers made South Africa pliant to an inchoate capitalist imperative. The paper uses a content analysis method to formulate the data and conclusion of the study. It ultimately recommends measures that can assist in restoring South Africa to its rich status.