| | In a recent paper, Samir Amin has argued that concern over Africa being 'marginal-ised' is misdirected (Amin, 2002). Africa is more integrated into the global capitalist economy than other regions of the world in terms of the share of its external trade in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but it is the form of that insertion that explains Africa's impoverishment. Africa is integrated in a passive way, adjusting to changes rather than initiating them. This is the result of following, essentially, the colonial division of labour, with the super-exploitation and lack of auto-centrism that this entails. But that division of labour is reaching its limits, as evidenced by Africa's recurring economic crises, its totally unmanageable debt burden and its subjection to recurring rounds of 'structural adjustment'. Amin argues, as he has for many years now for Africa to begin pursuing an auto-centred approach to development and re-integration into the world economy on new terms. He sees the liberation of South Africa as holding out great promise in this respect but bemoans the fact that, while there has been much talk of an 'African Renaissance', '_ there are not yet viable signals of these hopes crystallising into alternative strategies' (Amin, 2002:50). |
