Johnny Muteba Milembo

Many of us have inspirations and visions on the kind of Africa we want to see, but wonder whether Africa will one day be what we would like it to be. Wonder is not knowledge, neither is it ignorance. It is something or a feeling that we believe we can be. People have so many incredible ideas and visions yet we tend to underestimate what we are capable of doing and what we can achieve. You wouldn't have the desire unless you had the ability to achieve something. When I look at the environment outside, I see how resistant we are to change, which is one of the reasons why we can not have the Africa we want.

Johnny Muteba is an Executive member of Africa Heritage Society. Below is an article about him and the kind of Africa he would like to see. What is your opinion on the kind of Africa you want to see? Feel free to leave your comments and share with us your views. This is what Johnny Muteba had to say:

I was born on 10 October 1978 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After finishing my high school, I was faced with a decision, to either go to the university or travel abroad. The reason for my decision was because my family did not have money to send me to the university, so I had to look for money to support my parents who were old. I went to the diamond fields and started digging just like many young people of my age. After unsuccessful attempts and many days of sleeping outside in the cold mines, something came up and I was closer to fulfilling my dream of going to varsity. The only problem that presented itself was that if I choose to go to the university the money would not be enough to finish all my academic years. So instead of studying, I decided to travel, and Canada was my destination. The money would be enough to take me as far as South Africa and from there I wanted to pursue my dream to go overseas. Finally I realised that my dream was indeed in South Africa. I have been in South Africa since 2001. My biggest ambition was now to make films that the South Africans and Africa as a whole would enjoy. This also was not easy as many people discouraged me, telling me that I would not be able to make films as it is very expensive. Deep down my heart I knew that nothing is impossible. It led me to the establishment of a production company, Afromol Vision in 2007. The company started producing TV shows for TV channels in the DRC and to date I have produced more than 4 films, countless music videos, documentaries, TV shows and live events for the UNHCR, IOM, OXFAM, FAIR PLAY FOR AFRICA and I believe all things are possible.

According to the AEC, 127,000 highly qualified African specialists left the continent between 1960 and 1989. The Office for International Migration, had an average of 20 000 departures per year since 1990.

Why are we leaving the mother land in such big numbers?

Having left the DRC, my country of birth, some ten years ago to look for greener pastures in Nelson Mandela's country, I was shocked to see a lot of my teachers, friends and other educated people I knew back then who are like me looking for opportunities in South Africa doing the most menial of jobs available. Some of these people left good businesses and their loved ones behind. Today those who used to be doctors have become security guards. I am not saying that being a security guard is something bad, because I was at some point in my life a security guard too. What I am saying is that something happens to your carrier and profession when you move from one country to another. Lucky are those who can still do what they used to do at home because here what matters is not the level of your education but what you can do to put food on the table.

How many of the people who have left this continent can still continue to contribute economically for the advancement of the people of Africa? How many can come back to invest without being afraid of being arrested from political leaders who accuse many of us out of our countries of being spies.

The Africa I want to see is an Africa that can pay and keep the talent at home, because I believe Africa is the only continent that sells its best. The best African soccer players are not in Africa, they are in Europe, America, Asia and other parts of the world. Our best doctors are not here. Our best musicians want to leave the continent for greener pastures. Our finest professors are in America and Europe and they are very afraid to come back home for fear of victimisation and imprisonment.

Where are America's best musicians, scientists and doctors? They are all in America.