Kenyan Academic Patrick Lumumba highlights Africa’s missed opportunities, stating that many great things have not been realised due to the smallest sections still holding economic power.
Delivering a Lecture at the University of Cape Town on Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Lumumba says when Africans defeated and removed colonisers, they promised themselves many great things, however, many of those things have not been realised because the smallest sections of its population still hold economic power.
Protests
By early afternoon, groups of EFF members, mainly student command members, were already milling around the Sara Baartman Hall.
Later, another group bearing placards also arrived. These were mainly LGBTQI+ activists, the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation and members of the South African Students Congress who were protesting the presence of Lumumba at the university.
The EFF’s invitation of Lumumba has caused a stir in some quarters because of his views on gay rights. He has endorsed the recent tough anti-gay laws passed by Uganda, which include the death penalty for what is called aggravated homosexuality.
While there were minor scuffles at some point, in general the two groups went about their business with interfering with each other.
VIDEO | Anger over Lumumba delivering EFF public lecture:
‘Economic freedom to Africans’
Lumumba was given a hearty welcome ahead of his speech and got several standing ovations along the way. He orates passionately about the history of colonialism and the promises that the continent’s leaders had made once they had gained independence.
He claims he came to celebrate with the EFF because he agreed with its strategy and agenda for restoring economic freedom to Africans. He says the continent has agonised about its suffering for too long without doing much to correct it.
“This is why I am here with you to celebrate your 10th anniversary. This is why I think you are doing the right thing because 10 years ago, you made the correct analysis…”
He calls on the party to make sure its message of ‘economic freedom in our lifetime’ is spread throughout the continent.
“I’m now urging you my good friend, Juju, I’m now urging you and your comrades in arms. This spirit must now spread … It must go to Luanda in Angola, it must go to Kampala in Uganda.”
