By Marcus Moloko
Former South African president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma visited Burkina Faso, where he met with President Ibrahim Traoré to discuss Africa’s colonial legacy, current challenges, and the need for greater continental unity.
“They continued, in a sense, indirectly, to take everything in Africa… and they still do it today,” Zuma said as he opened his message revisiting the continent’s long history of colonization.
“Africa was colonized many, many centuries [ago] and oppressed,” he said.
His statements underscored Zuma’s belief that colonial powers never truly relinquished control, but instead adapted their methods to maintain influence.
In his address to the people of Burkina Faso, Zuma acknowledged the efforts of African nations to liberate themselves, saying: “African’s decided to say, let us now be free…and succeeded,” however, that freedom gained was compromised by lingering colonial attitudes and unequal relationships.”
“Even that freedom got watered down by the manner in which the relations between Africa and the colonizers were.”
His critique suggests political independence did not translate into economic or psychological liberation, and left many African nations trapped in neo-colonial dynamics.
Not mincing his words on the continent’s current challenges, Zuma pointed out that despite formal independence, many African countries faced the same misery and problems they had under colonial rule.
“We as Africans have to discuss that matter and correct the wrongs,” said Zuma.
The former president praised Burkina Faso’s recent political stance, describing it as a glaring example of a nation refusing to be bullied by former colonial powers.
He commended the country’s leadership for standing firm against pressure.
He framed his meeting with Traoré as a strategic dialogue between leaders committed to Africa’s future.
“It was therefore important to discuss with the president here,” and added how important it was for such conversations to be had in an effort to build a united front against lingering colonial influence.
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