During the colonial era, black workers were employed by white capitalists. While some exploited uneducated Africans with meagre wages, others treated them with respect, helping them adapt to modern life and showing genuine appreciation for loyal employees—even offering access to education. It is not accurate to say all capitalists mistreated their workers. The deeper question is how to unlock human potential, regardless of skin colour. Should we locate value in mineral resources, or in people themselves?
Africa is often viewed as the continent most afflicted by poverty, and it is worth probing why. This is not simply about mineral resources being extracted by Western countries or China, nor solely a matter of weak leadership. The challenges run deeper. Even with excellent leaders, problems persist if much of the population remains uninformed.
An uninformed society may misunderstand or resist progressive leadership, gravitating instead toward leaders who reflect their own levels of ignorance. That is why democracy can feel unworkable: good leaders are often rejected in favour of familiar yet ineffective conditions. Then there is the problem of “Black PR”—relentless smear campaigns targeting principled leaders.
Some people actually earn a living by crafting and spreading lies as though they were the truth, shaping public perception for destructive ends. Ethical leaders may be discredited, or even killed, for standing by their values, while many shy away from confronting the harmful machinery of propaganda. This feeds the cynical notion that politics is a dirty game, a notion born from the failure to address dishonesty. But when most people are informed and alert, propaganda loses its grip.
Politics, as an essential dimension of human life, is not automatically corrupt. The belief that any race is intellectually superior to Africans is false and often driven by propaganda. A person’s worth is not defined by skin colour or limited access to education. All people are made in God’s image, and God is not bound by race. Wrongdoing can be found in everyone, regardless of background, and sometimes entire nations fall into it.
Yet, even when many lose their way, there are always some who remain faithful to God, much like in the days of the Prophet Elijah. The Israelites were no worse than their Jewish relatives, and it was the Jews who crucified the Messiah because they misunderstood what they thought they knew. The Prophet Jonah tried to avoid going to Nineveh because he did not yet grasp that God sees all people as one, beyond race or culture, and chose instead to head for Tarshish.
“But to Jonah, this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ But the Lord replied, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’” (Jonah 4:1-4 NIV)
Was not the Prophet Jonah among those who judged nations according to the general wickedness within their territories? When we recognize that we are created in God’s image, we must not think as Jonah did. Instead, we must fairly treat every human being as a potential child of God. The real divide among humanity lies between ignorance and knowledge. Withholding knowledge from those we consider wicked is just as misguided as Jonah’s attempt to evade his divine mission. The greater fault rests with those who ignore God’s call to share wisdom with others.
In Africa, poverty often reflects ignorance more than poor leadership. Capitalists have exploited this ignorance, as some Africans placed more value on wealth than on themselves, yielding to exploitation by outsiders hungry for Africa’s mineral resources. Seeing such realities is both eye-opening and unsettling. The hope is that one day Africa will realize the truth that being Black doesn’t mean being lesser.
Many Africans believe they cannot match the intellectual standards of other races, making it seem like an achievement to live abroad while their own people suffer in poverty. This is where white capitalists seize the advantage. Many Africans misunderstand value, equating it with accumulating wealth and luxury without contributing to the well-being of others. True value lies in what one does to help others, not how much one benefits from others.
Nothing is more valuable than human life, yet some people view themselves as so insignificant that they believe mineral resources matter more. Complaining about capitalists feels useless—as they’re fueled by self-interest and push propaganda that makes resources seem more important than people.
Standing up to them begins with valuing personal dignity. Without it, one risks becoming a permanent victim. Minerals and resources should never be valued above humans, who are made in God’s image. Sadly, some from other races, and even many Africans, view people as liabilities rather than assets, often out of ignorance.
The real solution lies in helping black people reclaim their dignity instead of placing money above self-worth. This shift in mindset is key to solving Africa’s problems, and it has less to do with foreign exploiters. It is more about the self-degradation that occurs when money is considered more important than humanity, mostly out of ignorance.
When money is seen as more important than life, it can lead to terrible acts, even against one’s own family, opening the door to manipulative capitalists disguised as benefactors. These opportunists, whether from Western or Eastern Europe, use labels like imperialism, colonialism, or communism to deceive poor blacks into believing there is value in aligning with either ideology.
Capitalists often send agents to deceive people, creating division and conflict while pretending to uphold certain ideals. Those drawn to violence are frequently tempted by money, accepting it because they already feel undervalued. It is like committing crimes for cash without realising that the worth of the person committing such a crime is far greater than the money they receive.
Dignity should always come before money—it springs from what we do for others, not what others do for us. This is the essence of Ubuntu, a truth too often ignored. Money cannot grant respect to someone without dignity, yet society keeps equating value with wealth instead of humanity, which is infinitely more precious.
That does not mean capitalists should be free to exploit resources while leaving Africans in poverty. They must be helped to value people, not just the minerals they seek. Right now, bribery opens the door to those resources because locals undervalue themselves. Just as expensive clothes and fine perfume cannot restore a prostitute’s dignity, selling oneself for money reveals a lack of self-worth, turning any paying customer into just another client.
Dignity is not limited to certain lives, and examples like prostitution do not set such people apart from others. Lack of education does not make anyone worthless or inferior. Humanity has long been plagued by the habit of ranking people as above or below one another. This kind of labelling is a serious distortion that needs to be abandoned. It traces back to the so-called mud-creation theory, which sees humans only as clay destined for the grave.
When people lose their way, they are told to go back to the starting point. The mud-creation idea is more mockery than science and does not hold up, while truth can endure—if it comes from the source. A degraded humanity needs redemption to break free from lies, and what is shared here comes from that source, not from mere theory.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27 NIV)
The Bible says we are made in God’s image, not defined by the world or by things like dirt. Our true connection is with God, and that does not change, no matter where we are—whether in Nineveh, Tarshish, Africa, or China. What matters most is whose likeness we reflect. Being created in God’s image means we are sustained by more than just our physical needs.
No one is better than anyone else, since we all come from the same divine source. It is therefore wrong to say one race is poorer or lesser. Those with wisdom should guide those without it, and people of integrity will not enjoy plenty while others go without. Such a person knows their worth, which is defined by a willingness to make sacrifices for others. This naturally draws people in—just like the crowds who came to Jesus, knowing He provided what they truly needed.
Helping those without education is good, but giving them knowledge is even better—like the saying, “Teach someone to fish instead of giving them fish.” Teaching restores dignity and tackles ignorance that can lead to laziness, making education one of the highest values. Education holds its greatest value when the teacher directs attention to its true source, found in God. The Bible can be a great starting point when approached with a clear and open mind.
There is no point in mocking or looking down on people for being lazy; they need learning that helps them see their worth, because everyone carries an innate dignity. Even those who seem hopeless still have value, as they are made in God’s image. They only begin to feel worthless when they hear worthlessness repeated time and again to describe them.
The real task is to meet people where they are and guide them step by step toward reclaiming their dignity. Those who have the light should lead the way, because sharing knowledge is a sacrifice the educated must not take lightly. When darkness lingers, the blame does not fall on the uneducated but on the educated, who carry the responsibility to guide and support those without knowledge. This suggests a sacrifice unlike any ever experienced by anyone.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)
God grants understanding to whomever He chooses to enlighten, regardless of race, as Matthew 16:17 clarifies. Western countries should not be blamed for not bringing Christianity to Africa, for they, too, may receive help from Africans. Simply holding a Bible does not mean one truly understands its message. Scripture emphasises that those with the light—which comes directly from God—should guide those without it, helping to dispel darkness.
The core message is that everyone should begin by recognising their own dignity. Being made in God’s image means striving to think like Him; without this effort, a person remains in sin, often without realising it. Many Christians feel safe as long as they avoid sin themselves, but they may be no different from those still living in it. If they have truly experienced enlightenment, they have a responsibility to share that light with those who lack understanding.
“Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:15-16 NIV)
Matthew 16:17 shows that God grants understanding to anyone He chooses, regardless of background. Western nations should not be blamed for not introducing Christianity to Africa; they, too, can learn from African believers. The Bible teaches that those with light should guide those in darkness, since simply owning a Bible does not mean truly understanding it.
Recognising one’s dignity—knowing we are made in God’s image—means striving to think like Him. Without this, someone can remain in sin without realising it. Many Christians feel secure just by avoiding sin, but that is not so different from still living in it. True enlightenment comes from taking responsibility to share that light with those who do not yet have it.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99