Johannesburg, South Africa was host to the 10th BRICS summit that took place from 25th – 27th July 2018. The theme of this year summit was, “BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution.” Such a theme is extremely reminiscent with the African continent that is considered “uncivilized third-world continent” by the western colonialists.
Brazil, Russia, India and China formed BRIC on 16 June 2009 in their 1st summit held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Then later became BRICS after South Africa joined on 24 December 2010. In April 2011, the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, attended the 2011 BRICS summit in Sanya, China, as a full member. BRICS’s formation came at a time when the world was engulfed in the worst economic crisis of 2008 that emanated from the US. Therefore, the goal of BRICS was to facilitate a global political and economical transformation to rival that of the US although surreptitiously as confirmed by the aftermath statement of the Yekaterinburg summit, where the BRIC nations announced the need for a “new global reserve currency”, which would have to be “diverse, stable and predictable”.
From the word go BRIC and later BRICS was formed to rival the US. Hence, South Africa (SA) a long-time British colonial state and ally joined in order to champion its colonial master’s interests. Considering the fact that British lost its global stature after the 2nd WW whose global reign was taken over by the US. Since then British has employed a double-policy towards the US: one-she joins with US to win crumbs and two-she joins with US competitors to harm the US. As for SA joining is on the later part of British policy since China for over a decade has taken over Africa by outpacing US investments. In 2014, official statistics show that China has a record high of $220 billion in bilateral trade with Africa.
Out of the five BRICS currently the one, which is calling shots both in BRICS and globally, is China with an economy, which has surpassed that of the US in 2016. China is the world’s No.1 trading partner for 138 out of the world’s 200 nations. BRICS has also introduced New Development Bank (NDP) headquartered in Shanghai City, China and recently on 17 August 2017, the New Development Bank officially opened Africa Regional Center (ARC) in Johannesburg, SA. The Bank is aiming to establish the ARC as an important contributor to sustainable infrastructure development in South Africa and as a useful participant in the development agenda of the continent.
Africa globally known as a “dumping-site for finished products whose raw-materials are from herself!” Africa is blessed with abundant resources but due to western-colonialism is stagnated in extreme-poverty levels and unbearable living conditions perpetuated by agent-rulers serving colonial-masters’ interests from the South to the North and from the West to the East of Africa! Now today the likes of China and its allies are united to further the exploitation of Africa picking from where their colonial counterparts left when they were in direct control and now in their agent-rulers’ control. Implementing same policies but disguised as “friends of Africa” such like BRICS prioritizing Africa and opened ARC to pacify the Africans from comprehending the ramification of BRICS and especially China’s inroads into Africa. SA is part of BRICS for convenience purposes since its trade is imbalanced compared to the rest especially China as confirmed by Tebogo Khaas who says, “South Africa’s role in BRICS can best be described as an act of unrequited economic and political benevolence to Russia and China. Our participation in Brics seems to primarily be to lend credence to the association and enable access by China and Russia to Africa’s commodities – including votes at the UN. However, it otherwise prostrates Africa as a docile consumer market for Russian and Chinese goods and services”
The statement is confirmed by the Chinese President Xi Jinping in his 2018 second Term foreign visit to African continent. In terms of official statistics of 2016, which states “Africa’s largest importers from China were, 1st.South Africa was at $13.9 billion, 2nd.Senegal at $0.87 billion, 3rd.Mauritius at $0.85 billion and 4th.Rwanda at $0.35 billion”. Furthermore, Chinese loan status to Africa by 2015 was “1st.Angola has a debt of $19.22 billion, 2nd.Ethiopia at $13.07 billion, 3rd.Kenya at $6.85 billion and 4th.Sudan at $6.48 billion! All aid and loans advanced to Africa by China or NDP have “strings attached that include interest-rate and circumventing of national policies to accommodate those of Chinese interests etc” this in turn leaves African nations to suffer like they suffered during and after the colonial period via exploitative colonial policies and now currently via US-leaning financial organizations e.g. International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Bank (WB) which BRICS is trying to outstrip their global leadership.
Africa’s realization of its renaissance lies in its embracement of Islam as an ideology implemented through the Khilafah (Caliphate). A pure and profound state that will empower Africa to be an independent continent free from the machinations of secular capitalists caused by their invalid secular capitalist ideology and its filthy systems including that of capitalist economic system that oscillates between robbery of continent’s resources and offering loans as investments to choke the economies further and, hence subjugating the nations to their mercy. The Khilafah will utilize Africa’s resources for Africa via the implementation of the pure Islamic ideology emanating from the Creator of creations under the able guardianship of a just and piety Khalifah (Caliphate ruler) whose allegiance is to Allah (swt) only and not secular capitalists with their capitalists’ institutions like UN, WTO, IMF, WB, and NDP etc. Under the Khilafah Africa will be an arena for source of tranquility and prosperity contrary to her current situation of upheavals!
Written for Radio Rahma
Ali Nassoro Ali
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya
Article No.4 Dated: Friday, 14 Dhul-Qaada 1439 | 2018/07/27
- http://www.brics2018.org.za/
- http://www.sais-cari.org/data-chinese-foreign-aid-to-africa/
- https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/18/asia/xi-jinping-africa-visit-intl/index.html
- https://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/ramaphosas-rubicon-moment-20180211-3