African Friends and Money Matters, Second Edition. David E. Maranz
resentments of West Indians and Indians I had known in England, it struck me as ridiculous that it should be in Africa that people of different races should be able to meet on easy, uncomplicated terms.…As an Englishman I was perhaps unreasonably impressed by the fact that complete strangers would greet me and smile at me in the street, apparently without ulterior motive.97
97 Barley 1984:21–22.
For unaccompanied women when out alone, whether in town or traveling, the “friendliness” of some men may be less than sincere. In such circumstances, they may find themselves subject to unwanted attention. Several steps can be taken to minimize the problem. Wearing a ring or wedding band can help. It can be an inexpensive one purchased for just such occasions. If a man asks a single woman about her husband, she can reply that he is traveling or make up an evasive reply, if she would be bothered by telling a fib. If asked if she has a boyfriend, a reply that she already has several husbands and could not deal with another, may well defuse the question with humor. If traveling alone, a woman can search out another woman to travel with or sit next to. She might offer to help look after the children or the baggage of a fellow woman traveler. This can give the appearance of being connected, and not alone. Seeking the advice of respected local women when facing any place, area, or person of doubt, is highly recommended.98
98 Haibucher 1999a.
Elite society
He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk.
Malawian proverb99
99 www.afritorial.com.
One commonality found across Africa is the presence of elite society. This is constituted by individuals who have means (political and/or financial), position, and shared values, who are separated from the masses in significant ways. Together they exercise controlling power in their respective countries. Elites are people who have been successful, in whatever realm. Status symbols of the elite include pretentious houses and vehicles, jewelry, the type of cloth and the amount of embroidery on the clothing of both men and women. They often give the impression of pretentiousness. They comprise high society, often live ostentatiously, travel internationally, and congregate together in nightclubs and other venues that common folk cannot afford. Their power is often described as advancing personal interests rather than those that benefit national interests. They do have a positive influence in that elites from different ethnic groups socialize together, often marrying across linguistic and “tribal” boundaries. Yet in spite of their often-humble village origins, “many African elites in government and elsewhere continue to trivialize the indigenous cultures that gave them birth and consider them retrogressive and irrelevant in today’s world.”100
100 Maathai 2009:46.
Certainly elite society is, and historically has been, a common feature of cultures almost everywhere. Royalty was not limited to Europe: African kingdoms had their own elite families or clans. The super-rich, celebrities, and sports stars in Western societies are “elites,” with some of the same characteristics as elites in Africa but also with fundamental differences in their roles in society. The reason for focusing on them in the context of Africa is that they have preponderant influence and power in many countries. Their position in African society is more akin to that of royalty in pre-democratic times, whereas elites in the West exercise influence more indirectly. This is done through expressing opinions publicly, financing political action and lobbying, supporting particular candidates for office, and other such indirect activities. Western elites also tend to hold their positions relatively short-term. Politicians come and go, and even rise from “nowhere.” Titans of business disappear after retirement. Celebrities pass like comets. In contrast, African elites tend to remain in self-perpetuating power, passing their positions and power to their heirs or others of the same restricted class.
As “elites” are a universal phenomenon there has been much scholarly study of them worldwide, that has given rise to a very extensive literature. This stems from their important, even preponderant, role in how countries and the world are run. The influence of elites extends into politics, business, economic development (or non-development), from international relations down to local politics—in short, most areas of national and international affairs. Many events and policies across the continent and within individual countries cannot be adequately understood without giving due attention to the role of elites in society.
Overall, elites are blamed for many of the ills so prevalent across the continent. Many studies examine the historical roots of these ills, including the continuing negative heritage of colonialism, unjust international markets, and many other factors. These are not discussed here, as the purpose of this section is not historical analysis, but an overview of the current situation. Here is a sampling from the extensive literature regarding elites:
“Viewed from a comparative perspective, the primary reason that African elites seek to control land is that they seek power, and in African customary land tenure systems, land is linked to power.”101101 Rose 2002:206.
Elites are engaged in a “politics of the belly” (a much-used metaphor originating in French from Cameroon, borrowed originally by Jean-François Bayart). It refers to “a form of governance that arose across Africa…(It is) characterized by…the elite in control of the private and public spheres, actors on both sides us(ing) their status to strengthen their economic and political power.”102102 Wikipedia, “Politics of the Belly,” accessed Jan. 27, 2014.
Although there has been a widespread move toward democracy across much of Africa in recent years, ruling elites maintain a “continued ability…to manipulate the democratization process for personal gain at the expense of the welfare of their respective political systems (through) a process whereby newly installed multiparty systems merely allow rotating and competing portions of ruling elites to exploit the vast majority of Africa’s largely rural populations.”103103 Schraeder 1994:70.
One dimension of the struggle for power by the elites would be unexpected by most Westerners. Reviewing a book dealing with African elites, the knowledgeable Donal Cruise O’Brien writes that their “struggle crucially involves a quest for ‘mastery of the invisible,’ with sorcery seen by the political actors as indispensable to the conquest and use of power.”104104 Cruise O’Brien 1989:528–529.
The discussion above may seem largely to put elites in a negative light, with their quests for power and their greed seeming to be dominant characteristics. As will be seen in the following section, elites are under a lot of external pressure, which certainly allows for some sympathy and mitigates the negativity. Many governments and institutions are unstable, rendering life unpredictable. Rivalries between ethnic groups abound in many countries. Kin put extreme pressure on those with means or access to means. Even those in high positions can never meet all the expectations of those who depend on them in the spoils system that exists in many countries. These may be extenuating circumstances, but at the least, the behavior of elites is too often a betrayal of African ideals.
Peter Geschiere points out that traditionally, where society was organized into kingdoms, wealth was the exclusive prerogative of the nobility, or traditional elite, a system that assumed ritual control over wealth. However, the elite were held responsible to use their power, status, and wealth for the benefit of their subjects. If they did not, they would be held accountable by God, or the spiritual powers who enthroned them. Thus, as non-elite individuals gained access to wealth and power, the populace assumed that they had somehow manipulated the system for their own benefit, at the expense of others. To the extent that they indulged in conspicuous consumption, hoarding of resources, or investing their wealth outside the homeland, they were perceived to have immorally or deceitfully acquired wealth, and were mistrusted or even ostracized. In modern Africa, the new elite stand in contrast to traditional idioms of wealth, both in the way they use their