The epistemic turn to decolonial thinking is regarded to be recent in academic discourse, but the practice is ancient. The idea of decoloniality has its origin in the establishment of modernity and coloniality itself and can be viewed as a natural response to colonial imposition. The idea of decoloniality becomes a detachment from the rhetoric of modernization and its imperial nature, which is articulated in the rhetoric of Western concepts such as that of development. Africa has been a recipient of foreign aid and intervention after colonialism. Aids in Africa is used to finance several investment projects which has reflected changes in the decoloniality identity process and progress. Therefore, a thorough discourse on redefining the decolonization process in Africa is the focal point of this analysis.
As the perspective of development has been changing and its interpretation enhancing, so is the discourse on aid and intervention in Africa. Foreign aid started in 1947, following the institution of the Marshal Plan, after the Second World War (1939-1945). Foreign aid was formed on the basis that it is punishing for underdeveloped and developing countries to grow economically without support from developed countries. Over time, Africa has become the biggest foreign aid recipient. Many believe that foreign aid is synonymous with economic growth because it complements and supplements national resources as well as provides additional financial resources that assist in ameliorating a country’s economic and political space. But, this is in turn the Waterloo of African States in pursuit of decolonization. Saying that decolonization refers to the logic, metaphysics, ontology, and matrix of power created by the massive processes and aftermath of colonization and settler colonialism; dealing with the matrix of coloniality and its lasting effect, but depending heavily on foreign aid, makes Africa a stagnant pool of water.
The impact of aid and intervention in most African states has not been straightforward. It does exhibit more of a mixed picture of struggles rather than clear and significant causal relationships between Western donors and African recipients. This is to examine the proposition that foreign aid and intervention have done more harm than good as there is substantial evidence that shows that foreign aid programs hold back countries and make them independent instead of breaking free from every form of dependency on colonial authorities. This turns out to become neocolonialism. African countries like Tanzania and the likes of Somalia show the contradictions to the original “expectations” of aid and interventions in Africa.
In conclusion, this discourse finds out that foreign aid has led to dependency by Africa because aid given does not operate in a vacuum, it all comes in favour of the donor’s national interest and policies thereby putting uncertainty to the pan-Africanism movement of initiating decolonization processes on reclaiming cultural heritage, challenging dominant narratives, and striving for self-determination. The remedy to this over-dependence on foreign aid and interventions is for Africa to embark on self-sustained development projects, and focus on building sustainable development goals that are void of foreign collaboration. The Pan-Africanism movement should be appreciated and reinstated. Corrupt leaders should be haunted, and native made products appreciated which will help to build a strong African economic market value. This will help the calculated decoloniality process in Africa to make solid waves.
