DEVELOPMENT
By Kundi Faraja
A man of the
people
Enters his office
to sit on the
throne
of Party and
State,
His stick of
power
Across the table.
He looks into the
files
To see the
demands
Of the millions
of people
Who for years
since Uhuru
Have just managed
to survive
They ring out one
message
Man of the people
You have always
been telling us
What we need…
Health centres,
More schools,
Clean water,
Better transport
facilities,
Better living
conditions.
Do you plead
incapable
To bring about
development?
I declare running
Better than
walking
For a young and
poor country;
I plead fighting
underdevelopment
Tougher than
fighting
A wounded buffalo
With a pocket
knife;
I plead
underdevelopment
Stronger than the
blows of the sea
When the
hurricane is at its height.
I plead fighting
underdevelopment
Tougher than
combating colonialism;
I see that it’s
more difficult
To maintain peace
Than to stop a
coup d’état.
I plead the cry
Of the nation
More painful than
the yell
Of a woman
As her husband
dies in sickness;
It’s more painful
than the screams
Of a man
Dying in agony
In the coils of
the greatest python
Found in the
African forest.
How is
development
To be brought
brother
When the people
to whom
We have entrusted
power
Are corrupt?
I plead the
stomachs
Of the privileged
few
Greater than the
Rift-Valley;
They cannot be
satisfied
With a normal
share.
I plead the
thirst
Of the minority
Greater than that
of the Sahara;
No rain can
quench it.
I reckon the
minority
More sensitive to
egoism
Than to National
Development ;
Nothing that is
not theirs
Is of any interest.
Their response to
egoism,
Is faster than
camera film to light
But as slow as
tropism
To
nation-building.
The majority
plead
Exploited,
Cheated,
Disregarded,
But, brother,
How is development to come?
INTRODUCTION
Development is the poem written by Kundi Faraja, which
criticises the concept of development as taken by post colonial African
leaders. While it’s true that the development agenda dominated many political
platforms and economic policies of pre-independence era, the bourgeoisie class
that replaced their colonial predecessors have turned it to be only a nightmare
to the common people. What we have now are high levels of corruption,
oppression, exploitation, selfishness (egoism), classes, lies and social
political and economic marginalization.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS.
SELFISHNESS (EGOISM)
Most post-colonial African leaders are thinking in
terms of me, myself and I. Although
the resources of the country ought to benefit both classes, the lower class has
remained spectators of the game. The high class misuses the national resources
at the expenses of the lower. Kundi Faraja criticises the hypocritical
behaviour of most African leaders who think of themselves (being the minority)
while the majority whose efforts are wasted are disregarded. The national resources
are not distributed equally anymore. Their selfish tendencies are expressed by
the poet in these terms.
I reckon the minority
More sensitive to egoism
Than to national
development
Nothing that is not
theirs
Is of any interest.
The issue of national development that was at the top
of the agenda has now turned only a daydream. To the leaders he asks;
Do you plead incapable
To bring about
development?
CORRUPTION
Shortly after independence in an attempt to lift
ourselves up from the bottom of colonialism in which we had fallen unwillingly,
the nation identified three enemies that we had to fight tooth and nail in
order to stand on our own feet. These included; poverty, ignorance and disease. Nevertheless in the long run corruption emerged and
added to their number and has since then become tougher than the first three
enemies.
It is however sad to note that it’s not the common people who are at the
forefront in giving and receiving corruption but the leaders. Critically
speaking, the issue of development is even more complicated when we come to
think of the fact that those to whom we have entrusted power are the same who
are corrupt. Thus the poet comes to a point when he shows there is no way a
country whose leaders have invested in corruption can develop. No way! He says
How is development
To be brought brother
When the people to whom
We have entrusted power
Are corrupt?
Implicitly, the poet is calling for action. Because we did a mistake in
the first place by giving corrupt leaders the mandate to rule us, do we still
need to continue with them even when we realize that they have hypocritically,
betrayed our cause? Think of it.
CLASSES AND MARGINALIZATION.
Practically speaking, classes in any society are inevitable. However,
the sociological investment should be more of how to bring about a harmonious
relationship among the existing classes than how to neutralize them. In most cases it has been evident that
whenever these classes exist, the high class oppresses, exploits and
marginalises the lower. To show how detrimental class division can be in any
society, the poet uses strong metaphorical comparisons to bring the message
home. While the minority (whom he calls privileged few) enjoy the national
cake, the majority have been marginalized and disregarded.
I plead the stomachs
Of the privileged few
Greater than the rift
valley
They cannot be satisfied
With a normal share.
Their thirst he compares with that of the Sahara desert which no rain
can quench. In other words he is trying
to say that there is no point they will be satisfied if at all the majority
will stay staring at them waiting sympathetically for their turn. Never!
EXPLOITATION
Although exploitation was condemned in colonial time as being
detrimental to the national development, it is wonderful that today it has been
the major means of capital accumulation by the bourgeoisie class in the post
colonial Africa. Evidences show that most leaders who climb up the leadership
ladder, begin while they are as poor as flies but in no time they become
distinguished petty bourgeoisies. In the poem, the poet continues to point a
finger at the leaders who exploit the masses.
The majority plead
Exploited.
POOR SOCIAL
SERVICES AND DISILLUSIONMENT
One of the main topics that dominated political policies in colonial era
was the improvement of people’s ways of life after the attainment of Uhuru. Most people, regarding the
suffering they had experienced in colonial time, and considering the fact that
colonial social services were provided on the basis of colour (race) and
economic status, they fought for independence heart and soul.
To their surprise, today the same leaders who promised
to help the common people to improve their ways of life in their free
countries, have betrayed their cause. This is to say, social services for the
poor have remained as poor as before. Today the masses are disillusioned and
they ask.
Man of the people
You have always
been telling us
What we need
Health centres
More schools
Clean water
Better transport
facilities
Better living
conditions
This however, is not what turned out to be. The millions of people still
live in the same lifestyle they lived before independence. To them,
independence is but a change of colour from white colonialists to black
colonialists.
AWARENESS
The kind of awareness portrayed in the poem is that which the
marginalized class have towards the ruling class. The minority seems to be
aware of everything that is taking place. In so far as the liberation of the
oppressed is concerned, awareness is a very important step at least as the
first thing to start with. Additionally, it is a very vital step towards
national development where the national resources will benefit both the ruling
class and the masses. Because of this sense of awareness they ring out one
message demanding for their right.
IRRESPONSIBILITY.
This is a state whereby
leaders are not thinking enough about the effects of what they do or not
showing a feeling of responsibility. In this poem leaders are irresponsible.
They are no longer concerned about the welfare of their people but they are
caught up in the same evil lifestyle of their colonial masters. The majority
has been left in the periphery while the minority is enjoying the national
cake. That’s why the majority class is asking?
“Do
you plead incapable
To
bring about development?
This is to say the majority of
people are now aware of their leaders’ irresponsibility and triviality.
BUILDING THE FUTURE/STRUGGLE FOR CHANGE
The persona proposes several
changes that have to be taken by poor nations if they need to realize
sustainable development. Changes cannot be brought if the majority sits and
waits for their time. He shows for instance that development cannot be brought
by corrupt leaders. The implication is that they should change the ruling
system. But also he declares running better than walking for poor nations.
People must work harder than they are doing currently to fight for development.
I declare running
Better than walking
For a young and poor
country;
I plead fighting underdevelopment
Tougher than fighting
A wounded buffalo
Therefore, as a matter of facts, irresponsible leaders, corrupt rulers
and selfish behaviour of the few, will still remain the obstacles to
development if at all the masses remain passive. The end of the poem seems to
have a sense of calling for action. He leaves the audience with the question
for everybody to ask him/herself. “How is
development to come?” Another
similar question could be “Do we have to
sit and wait for our turn? Think about it.
GUIDING QUESTION
(NECTA 2013)
(a)
What is the poem about?
The poem is about development. It criticises the concept of development
as taken by post-colonial leaders and how they have failed to bring about
sustainable development and hopes to the majority due to corruption,
exploitation, and selfishness.
(b)
What is the tone and mood in this poem?
The persona is unhappy and disappointed because of what is taking place
in the society. Thus creates a disappointed and hatred mood towards the ruling
class.
(c)
How many stanzas are there?
There are 12 stanzas of
unequal length and uneven number of verses.
(d)
Show the relevance of the themes portrayed in this
poem to your society.
As for real the poem has
succeeded to pinpoint the reality of most African countries. While those who
fought for independence sleep on the same earth they slept before independence,
those who have fallen into things throw themselves into soft beds and exchange
cars as though they were clothes..
In our country Tanzania for example it can be seen from the way ministers
and other high government officials misuse the public funds for their benefit.
Corrupt leaders are signing bogus contracts that benefit them not the masses at
large. The minority are exploiting the majority. They will never be seen
attending public hospitals because they know how worse the condition is. Their
option is in most cases going to India or other developed countries with
executive health services.
Not to speak of the schools. The condition is worse in public schools so
their children attend the seminaries, international and private schools.
(e)
Who is the persona in this poem? How do you know?
The persona is a
citizen from low class. The poet shows that the persona is not one of those
leaders because he is casting his complaints against the leaders, as he says
“How is
development
To be brought brother
When the people to whom
We have entrusted power
Are corrupt?”
(f)
What type of the poem is this?
It is a modern/freeverse poem but specifically a didactic
poem as it gives instruction to the citizens what they can do to reach
sustainable development. E.g. ‘I declare running better than walking…”
(g)
What is the message that is carried by this poem?
MESSAGE
Ø If the leaders are not careful with national
development one day the majority might stage a revolution.
Ø Awareness is an important tool in so far as the
liberation of the oppressed is concerned.
Ø Corrupt leaders are an obstacle to national
development.
Ø Bringing about development is not a simple task or a
cheap commodity. It needs determination, dedication and focus.
Ø Exploitation and misuse of public resources for
private gain are also an obstacle to development.
Ø Selfishness is not good if we need to bring about
sustainable development.
Ø The leaders should fulfil their promises to the
majority when they get power.
(h)
How many verses are in this poem?
(Count all the
lines)
(i)
Comment on
the language use in this poem.
Ø
The
language is very simple and straightforward and it helps the reader to get the
themes easily. The choice of words is also perfect they have a direct
connection with the themes.
Ø
E.g. the majority plead/exploited/ cheated/disregarded
FUGURES OF SPEECH
There are several figures of speech in the poem as follows.
v
Barbarism. Using more than one language in a literary work.
Who for years since uhuru
v
Parallelism.
Health centres
More schools
Clean water
Better transport
facilities
Better living conditions
v
Rhetorical question
Ø
Do you plead incapable to bring about development?
Ø
..When the people to whom we have entrusted power are
corrupt?
Ø
How is development to come?
v
Hyperbole/exaggeration
·
I plead the stomachs of the privileged few greater
than the rift valley.
·
I plead the thirst of the minority greater than that
of the Sahara.
v
Simile
But as slow as tropism to nation-building
v
Imagery.
There
are several images in this poem which the reader can imagine of in terms of;.
Visual image- this is an image of sight e.g.
ü
Greater
than the Rift-Valley;
ü
Camera
film to light, coils
of the greatest python
ü
Stronger
than the blows of the sea
ü
When
the hurricane
is at its height.
Organic image -this is image
of feeling
ü
Dying
in agony
ü
More
painful
than the yell
Audio image – this is an image of sound
ü
The
yell
of a woman
ü
I
plead the cry of the nation
ü
the
screams
of a man
Kinetic image -this is an image of motion.
ü Is faster than camera film
ü But as slow as tropism
ü I declare running
ü Better than walking
(j)
Is the poem relevant to
Tanzania today?
The poem is relevant because it has successfully depicted the problems
that are facing our country today thus becoming obstacles to development. These
include. Corruption, classes, selfishness, irresponsibility, marginalization,
poor social services etc.
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