“Divide and Rule: How Africa’s Political Elites Exploit Poverty to Maintain Power”
By Dr Columba Blango.
Bob Marley’s words in Ambush in the Night—*“they keep us hungry, but when you get some food, your brother becomes your enemy”—*perfectly encapsulate the tactics used by Africa’s political elites to sustain their grip on power. By deliberately keeping the masses in a state of economic deprivation, exploiting divisions among them, and weaponizing poverty, these leaders ensure that the people remain too distracted by survival and infighting to challenge the status quo. This cycle of bad governance, injustice, and exploitation continues to suppress true progress across the continent.
The Politics of Hunger and Division
In many African nations, the ruling class thrives while the majority of citizens struggle with extreme poverty. This is not accidental—it is a calculated strategy. Leaders enrich themselves through corruption, siphoning public funds meant for development, while ordinary citizens are left scrambling for basic needs. The moment someone escapes the clutches of poverty—whether through business, politics, or civil service—they are seen as a threat by both the ruling elite and their fellow struggling citizens. Instead of uniting to dismantle the structures of exploitation, people turn against each other in desperation. This is exactly what Marley warned against: a system where scarcity fuels hostility rather than solidarity.
For example, in Nigeria, politicians distribute food and money only during election campaigns to secure votes, while doing little to address the systemic issues that create poverty in the first place. In Zimbabwe, under Robert Mugabe’s rule, land redistribution policies were used not for genuine economic empowerment but as a tool to reward political loyalists while leaving many others impoverished. Similarly, in South Sudan, political elites manipulate ethnic rivalries, ensuring that different groups remain locked in conflict rather than uniting against their common oppressors.
Exploitation and Unpatriotic Leadership
Many African leaders prioritize their personal and political survival over national progress. Instead of building strong institutions, they weaken them to retain control. Elections are often manipulated, dissent is crushed, and state resources are looted. The exploitation extends beyond politics into the economy—multinational corporations collaborate with corrupt officials to exploit natural resources, leaving local populations with nothing but environmental degradation and poverty.
Take the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where vast mineral wealth, including cobalt and diamonds, should make it one of the richest nations in the world. Instead, due to bad governance and exploitation by both local and foreign elites, the country remains one of the poorest. The wealth of the land is controlled by a few, while millions live in dire conditions.
Breaking the Cycle: The Way Forward
To escape this trap, African nations must prioritize:
1. Good Governance and Accountability – Citizens must demand transparency, and institutions must be strengthened to hold leaders accountable. Independent judicial systems and free press are critical to exposing corruption.
2. Economic Empowerment – Sustainable economic policies should focus on wealth distribution, job creation, and industrialization rather than dependency on foreign aid and extractive industries.
3. Unity Over Division – The people must recognize that their true enemy is not their struggling neighbor but the corrupt system that keeps them divided. National unity movements can challenge oppressive governments effectively.
4. Youth and Civic Engagement – Young people must take an active role in politics, refusing to be used as tools for violence or division. They should push for reforms that benefit the majority rather than a select few.
Bob Marley’s words serve as a warning and a lesson—until African citizens reject the system of exploitation and division, they will continue to be pawns in the game of their oppressors. The fight for justice, equality, and true independence must be relentless. Only then can Africa fulfil its true potential.
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