POLITICAL MARGINALIZATION AND ISSUES AROUND THE INCLUSION OF THE OTHER: AFRICA’S ALBATROSS

Abstract

Since the exit of the physical presence of the colonial masters on African soil some decades back, it has become an obvious fact that Africans have found it increasingly difficult to live harmoniously among themselves in a particular country or locale. This is encapsulated in what we termed, primarily, political marginalization. That is, the controversies and struggles that are involved in accepting or rejecting an African on an African soil by fellow Africans irrespective of the African‟s place of origin. Instances to buttress this fact include the agitations for self-determination, secession by Africans in many African countries in addition to the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa. It is therefore an examined position of this paper that disunity among Africans caused by political marginalization and other attendant issues are the major albatross to Africa‟s quest for greatness. In line with this position, this paper essays to offer mere narration of the cause(s) of conflicts by the parties involved in dispute and the employment of violence if need be, as complements to Habermas‟ discourse ethics which is overly dependent on rationality (better argument as the best means of conflict resolution) as enduring solutions to the aforementioned challenge of political marginalization.