Reflections on Justice and Societal Inequity in Africa
Why were the laws made for the poor?
In most African countries, power is considered an opportunity to enslave others rather than a means to help, serve, and build the people to make the world a better place. Masses who fall victim to the same offense that the elites do tend to face the penalty of their wrong, while the elite case is swept under the carpet; this is the world I live in. What then is justice? Is there hope for the common man in this society?
I can remember when I went to get foodstuffs at the market and I saw a man who faced jungle justice; he was tortured and burnt alive by the youths of the village. Why? Because he stole some food in the market. While he was confessing, he said he had no one to help, and his pregnant wife had been lying sick for weeks; helplessly, he decided to steal some food to feed his family. From his action, what I can say is that what he did was terribly bad, and that fact does not change. However, in a working country where citizens’ needs are met and job opportunities are offered to graduates and the like, do you think he would have thought of that?
Here is my point—what is the difference between him and the politicians who steal money from the government? Why are they not treated the same way they treat the man in the market? Definitely, it is because he is poor. Aside from this, there are cases of those who are innocent, yet they face justice for what they know nothing about. This is barbaric!
If we believe in making the African countries a better place where justice prevails, no one should be above the law. Starting from obeying traffic rules, the government officials should imbibe the culture of obeying traffic lights and not feeling exempted. A boy has been jailed by a politician because he noticed he started having an affair with his child; to date, he is still in jail. If you go to African prisons and hear from the prisoners, you will know that many of them are innocent of the charges.
Rule of law means that no one is above the law—we talk about it theoretically, but we do not apply it because of bad government. I am tired! We need a change!
Let the law of the society affect both the elites and masses; with that, we can have a better African country.