ent of the satellite, but on the development of the metropolis.

In an analysis of the metropolis – satellite relationship, Le Roux in Tedros (1992), and Samir
(1977) argued that since the development of the satellite (Africa) could lead to the emergence of
new dominant groups capable of appropriating the surplus for themselves, there was an obvious
need for the metropolis to determine the optimum rate of development of its satellite. Thus, the
metropolis determined the level and pace at which Africa was to develop through the adoption
and implementation of ineffective development policies and strategies. This window facilitated
the impoverishment of the satellite by the richer and more influential parts of the whole
economic cosmos. Efforts by Africa to resist the interference of the North often trigger economic
sanctions, example, the smart sanctions in Zimbabwe or the elimination of powerful leaders like
Patrice Lumumba and Kwame Nkrumah.

The illuminating idea in the exploitation of Africa is that too little development limits the amount
of surplus value produced in the satellite while too much of it could threaten the dominant
position of the metropolis. The dependency theory is also top-down in that it assumes that the
locals do not have the expertise and ability to fight their poverty and yet Max-Neef (1991:38)
argues: “Development geared to the satisfaction of fundamental human needs cannot, by
definition, be structured from the top downwards. It cannot be imposed either by law or decree.
It can only emanate directly from the actions, expectations, and creative and critical awareness of
the protagonists themselves. Instead of being the traditional objects of development, people must
take a leading role in development”.

Globalization and technological breakthrough have made migration easier and safer as well as
creating a dependency syndrome on the receiving countries. This is why most African countries
will largely rely on the expertise and advice of the same countries that exploit them. What good
is likely to come out of Britain to Zimbabwe considering that the independence of Zimbabwe
came as a result of a protracted war of liberation against the British rule? According to Rodney
(1972), the political independence of Africa from colonialism did not alter the dependency
arrangement; in fact it deepened it. One is forgiven to assume that the situation has remained
unabated as the continent entered the new millennium. An analysis of the trade patterns between
Africa and the developed world will show how the continent is robbed by the West and the East.
It is even more evident as we implement the ‘Look East’ economic policy. As pointed out earlier
on, the dependency theory continues to affect Africa’s development as multitudes of doctors,
nurses, engineers, and architects join the bandwagon to Africa’s former colonisers. This pillage
of human resources is made easier by the advancement in the World Wide Web (www) sector,
often referred to as the internet. The seriousness of the pillage is expressed by Daly and Cobb
(1990:49) who point out, “last year’s winners find it easy to be this year’s winners. Winners tend
to grow and losers disappear.”

Conclusion

Even in the early stages of market economy, one reads forces at work that enrich some through
impoverishing others, as Ruskin pointed out in 1860: “the art of making yourself rich, in the
ordinary mercantile economist’s sense, is therefore equally necessarily the art of keeping your
neighbour poor” (Reid, 1995:137). The large commercial farms in Zambia, Malawi, Botswana,
Kenya and other parts of Africa extracted human and non human resources and used them to
develop white comercial farms at the expense of the rural areas. To make matters worse the
labour from the rural areas was marginally paid and the working conditions were deplorable.

Consequently, rural poverty was exacerbated. The critiques of the dependency theory view
Africa in general and the rural areas in particular as having been strategically positioned by the
centre as recipients of poor services as well as ill-advice from the metropolis. According to
Rodney (1972), from the last years of the nineteenth century, up to the 1960s, Africa was the
major supplier of underpriced raw materials to Europe and buyer of overpriced manufactured
goods from the West.

At national level, the metropolis areas (urban) grew at the expense of rural communities. At
continental level one may be interested in finding out why Zambia, Angola, Botswana, the DRC,
Libya and many more nations in Africa are poor given their richness in natural resources.
Seemingly, the impoverishing dependency relationship is maintained through the promulgation
of development initiatives that are deeply alien but chanted as in the interest of Africa. The
dependency theory operates both in sovereign and colonial states. The only difference is that in
the later, the theory was applied with harsh measures than one expects in the former state. It is
also necessary to point out that due to corruption and bad governance, the dependency theory
may be applied ruthlessly even in a sovereign state.
The end of colonialism has not deterred the imperialists from dominating Africa. In Zimbabwe,
the independence negotiated by the Lancaster House Agreement prolonged the survival of
exploitative economic order. According to Samir et al. (1987), the Lancaster House Agreement
left the previous economic system practically intact in both the rural areas (no agrarian reform
liquidating the settler lands in favour of the peasantry) and in the industrial arena (respect for the
predominance of the interests of local private-capital in partnership with globalised capital).

To conclude, the dependency theory stemmed from the modernization ideology. The
metropolitan states have also used some states in Africa to destabilize other African economies.
For instance, South Africa has been tasked to help foster a regime change in Zimbabwe.
References

Abudu, A. O., 2000, “Counterproductive Socio-Economic Management in Ghana”, in Lauer, H

Adedeji, A., 1990, “Dimensions of the African Crisis”, Keynote Address to the Conference on
the Economic Crisis in Africa, October 25-28

Ademuwagun, Z. A. et al., (eds), 1979, African Therapeutic Systems, Waltham,

African Union Commission, 2004, Strategic Plan of the African Union Commission, Volume 1:
Vision and Mission of the African Union, Addis Ababa: AU

Ajei, M. O. 2001, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Good Governance in Ghana: The
Traditional Akan Socio-political Example, Accra: Institute of Economic Affairs

Ake, C, 1996, Democracy and Development in Africa, Ibadan: Spectrum Books

Akyeampong, D., 1993, The Two Cultures Revisited: Interactions of Science and Culture,Accra,
Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences

Alschuler, L. R. (1973), 'A sociological theory of Latin American underdevelopment',

Althusser, L. (1967), 'Sur le travail theorique', La Pensée, No.132 (April 1967), pp. 3-36.

Amin, S. (1972), 'Underdevelopment and dependence in Black Africa: origins and contemporary
forms', Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 10, No.4 (December 1972), pp. 503-525.

Amin, S. (1973), Neocolonialism in West Africa (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973).

Bacha, E. L. (1977), 'Issues and evidence on recent Brazilian economic growth', World
Development Vol. 5, Nos. 1 and 2 (January-February 1977), pp.47-68.

Bagchi, A. K. (1972), 'Some international foundations for capitalist growth and