It is quite disappointing that Africans are never on time for scheduled appointments. This is well recognized because the majority of Africans in the Diaspora also disregard the passage of time. Africans are constantly late for appointments they have with you.
The Polish author and journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski’s book “The Shadow of the Sun” further explains this viewpoint. He made extended trips all over the world, especially to Africa.
As one of Poland’s most prolific non-fiction writers, he is renowned for his sharp and intensely intimate assessments of social and political upheavals around the globe. The author passed away on January 23, 2007, in Warsaw.
To get to the heart of the story, Kapuciski braved malaria, civil conflict, and confrontations with brutal rulers.
His books dive into the causes of racial and political conflict, sifting through millennia of strife, chaos, and even ritual to build a picture that is at once real, educational, and moving.
The lack of concern towards Africa’s time is one of the topics the author of “Shadow of the Sun” highlighted in his account of his journey to Ghana. Yes! From the colonial era to the present day, many Africans have no concept of the passing of time.
If an African says, “I’ll be coming at 9 a.m., it’ll be 11 a.m., or I’m leaving at 2 p.m., it’ll be 4 p.m. For many Africans, time has no real meaning. Not just in Africa is the illness present. It has also been exported by Africans to Europe and America.
Kapuscinski boards a bus from Accra, the nation’s capital, on his route to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. When he asks when the bus departs, he is informed, “Until it is full.” Ryszard Kapuscinski feels compelled to include this information in his book; he most likely first saw it on the continent of Africa.
If we look at the history of poor China from decades ago, Africa has a long way to go because we are far behind in every area. Years after gaining freedom, Africa continues to look to heaven for miracles, forgetting that God supports those who support themselves.
Africa must battle corruption, build its nation, provide jobs for its citizens, and cease accusing its erstwhile colonial overlords of devouring the continent now that the riches are available. Yes! They pillaged, yet they left some of Africa’s wealth behind.
Despite its wealth, Africa remains the least respected continent. People are subjected to ongoing discrimination as a result of their attitudes, behaviors, and methods of doing various tasks. By making changes on the continent and in relation to time, we can disprove the white man.
Columnist: Joel Savage