I hope black people will learn a lesson from the earthquake, that hit Haiti.

If they don’t learn anything from it, then I throw up my hands in despair
and give-up.

Let’s start with a few basic facts.
Until the earthquake, I never knew there was a place called Haiti. I was
taught geography at school but I cannot remember a time when the mistress
told us about Haiti. It must have been one of those insignificant countries
that we had no reason to know about.

Now the whole world, including myself, knows about Haiti. I heard news of
the earthquake on the radio. I wondered where Haiti was and what sort of
people lived there.

Finally, when I switched on the television, I was informed that Haiti is an
island out in the Caribbean. Television pictures revealed a place populated
by black people.

From the non-stop television coverage of the earthquake, I got to learn
about the history of Haiti. It was not a good history lesson. It would seem
throughout its existence Haiti has suffered a series of natural calamities.
In the process it has sunk even deeper into poverty and deprivation.

Like all places populated by black people, Haiti is poor. As I watched the
television images, I felt very sorry for that forsaken place. Then I was hit
by a thunderbolt.
What if there were no white people?! You see, when the earthquake hit Haiti
somebody had to come to its assistance. There had to be a rescue effort. The
Haitians who survived did their fair bit of course by digging out their
families from the collapsed ramshackle buildings.

But such was the scale of the devastation and the loss of human life that a
bigger effort was needed. For that sort of work, you need heavy lifting gear
and other sophisticated rescue equipment. I have been following the story of
the earthquake keenly. I can attest to the fact that the first people to
arrive with sniffer dogs were white crews from all over the world.

The aeroplanes that set off carrying water and food were from white
countries. Not only that, the teams of volunteer doctors that I saw on
television comprised white people from across the world. As the sniffer dogs
went into action, the organized rescue teams that carried the stretchers
were made up of white people.

It was announced that a mobile hospital was on the way. It was coming from a
white country. For all intents and purposes in the aftermath of the
earthquake, Haiti was literally swarming with white people. They had all
arrived to save the poor blacks. And the locals were so happy to see them.
Granted there were teams from the Orient such as the Chinese and Japanese.
They too had quickly left their homes and families to go and assist the
stricken people of Haiti.
It is obvious to everyone that this was a devastating earthquake and the
work to repair Haiti and return it to a modicum of normality will take many
years. Somebody had to commit funds to this effort. Most of the countries
that have committed funds to aid the recovery are white. In fact, it would
seem the whites are running the show in Haiti.

What is my point?

My point is that ever since Haiti was hit by the earthquake I have not seen
any of my folks from Africa. Unless the television cameras deliberately
ignored them, I never saw a rescue team from my motherland. Nor did I see
any sniffer dogs from down here.

Heck, I never saw a single traditional doctor or sangoma busy divining where
to find people buried under the rubble.

Haiti is a land of black people. I would have expected the place to be
swarming with black people helping their own. They were nowhere to be seen.
I never saw any ships from black countries pulling into the harbour.

As the air traffic circled above the small airport, none of the planes was
reported as coming from Africa. The blacks were nowhere to be found. They
issued tepid statements of condolence to the people of Haiti and a few of
the African countries donated small amounts of cash.

Granted that was better than nothing. But I must say I was disappointed. I
was sad because the blacks did not behave as I had expected. You see, for
far too long black countries have been insolent to the point of being
abusive. They have a tendency of insulting the white man and telling him to
keep out of their countries. In fact, black people have the temerity to tell
white people they can perfectly survive on their own.
So I had expected the black countries to be consistent and behave true to
form.
 Why didn’t black countries tell white countries to stay away from Haiti
because we were quite capable of leading the rescue effort? We should have
insulted them as we often do at international forums.

There, our countries insult white countries and accuse them of imperialism
and neo colonialism. I was extremely disappointed when our countries failed
to accuse white people of practicing imperialism and neo colonialism by
coming to rescue the blacks of Haiti.

We should have told them we have better sniffer dogs that have been taught
only to rescue black people. We should have told their ships to stay away
and their planes not to overfly Haiti because we were up to the job with our
own ships and aeroplanes.

We should have brought in our traditional food instead of the strange
rations the Haitians are not accustomed to.

I am so disappointed by the black leaders that I hope never to hear them
again bleating about how bad white people are. The earthquake in Haiti was
the most opportune time to show the whites, once and for all, that we don’t
need them.

From now onwards, I want black leaders to shut up and never ever accuse
white people of being bad. I am sick and tired of big words such as
'imperialism' and 'neo colonialism'-- which are unable to rescue victims of
the earthquake.

I hope this is not the last earthquake that hits a black country. I want the
next one to specifically hit the residence of the Old Man in Harare. Then we
will see if he will abuse the white crew coming to rescue him and Pretty
Face!