IndyRef: African Perspectives

The Scottish diaspora here in this neck of the woods, whatever our political persuasion are eagerly awaiting in anticipation for the results of the Referendum to be held on Thursday coming. Most of our information these days comes from a wide spectrum of news channels. With DSTV you have Sky, CNN, BBC World, Aljazeera, Russia Today, Central China TV, New Delhi TV, Euronews and the Zambian National Broadcasting Company; all broadcasting in English. There are French, Flemish, Portuguese and Italian news channels as well. They all give their own peculiar, in the original sense of the word, view of what is going on.

 

Thankfully we no longer have to rely just on the mainstream media. With the internet and social media a much wider form of engagement is now possible than was the case previously where we relied on the Weekly Guardian - very often two weeks out of date before we got it - and the World Service for our news. What with Twitter, blogs and other websites it is now often easier for us here in Mwandi to know almost immediately what is going on in Livingston, West Lothian, than Livingstone Zambia which is only 140km downstream from here.

 

In Africa most people still get their news from the state broadcaster and from government-run newspapers. There are actually few independent newspapers, radio and TV stations. I have had a brief look through the African Press to see what their take has been so far on the Scottish Referendum. As you can see the debate has been on higher things, mostly the political with a capital P. There is not the same emphasis on supermarket costs, bank addresses and roaming telephone charges!!

In Nigeria last week the Daily Independent from Lagos, looking at the clamour for greater autonomy by regions in Nigeria, commends both the Holyrood and Westminster leadership for the civilised way being used to determine Scotland’s future with the use of debate instead of the armed struggle and unwholesome agitation against the state.

It salutes the British Government for permitting a referendum on self-determination. In most African countries charges of treason would be brought against proponents of independence, most governments reinforce by coercion the indivisibility and dissolubility of their respective states, despite most African states being forced into nationhood by the colonial masters for their administrative convenience. The leader suggests that the right to secede should be included in the constitution, arguing if the laws allow for the dissolution of marriage - the smallest unit of association - why should the country not allow minorities self-determination through the constitution? The right to self-determination after all is a fundamental human right.

The military mentality still persists in Nigeria, 15 years into the 4^th Republic, a supposed democracy, but which operates a constitution that has no recognition for the opinion of the people on national issues.

Kenya’s daily Nation last Thursday suggests Scotland could make history by ending the Union and creating the newest state in Europe since the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

It looks at Spain, where the central government has ruled out a referendum for Catalan independence but many Catalans want to have the right to vote. And from Scotland they see it is possible to have a vote whether the outcome is yes or no.

There is also obvious interest in Belgium too, which is divided between the Flemish, French and German-speaking communities. The push for greater autonomy has affected them for years, but a referendum like Scotland’s would be banned by the Belgian constitution.

And finally a rather wistful and surprisingly nostalgic piece from Malawi’s Daily Nation,
entitled, Of Scottish Independence: Where to from here?

The article talks of a possible seismic shift with a Scots departure from the Union, but again commends the use of the democratic process to do this rather than violence and aggression.  This has not taken from the passion of debate with explosive hot tempers and the fury of the arguments. It has caused uncertainty but uncertainty is a fact of life. The No camp have been pulling out all the stops in a last ditch attempt and when the economic arguments have seemed to fail, the promise of Devo-Max is back on the cards.

Willis Mijiga concludes that whatever the result, it will be to the betterment of the people of the people of Britain and the rest of the world and despite the imperialist trespasses of yesteryear the UK has been a force for good in modern days.