Rethinking Sustainable Development: A Du Boisian Critique of Neoliberalism in African Development

This paper uses W.E.B. Du Bois’s perspective of ‘double consciousness’, ‘colour line’ and ‘racial capitalism’ to examine African development approaches within the sustainable development framework. The need for sustainable development has grown over the years as a response to the effects of climate change, global warming, social inequalities, and social justice. African countries have in the past few years been encouraged to pursue development models that provide for the needs of the people and enable partnerships while safeguarding the environment and ecosystems. At the same time, the expansion of global cultural, economic and political ties means that several African countries are embracing neoliberal economic development strategies that are integrating them into global markets. The adoption of these neoliberal economic approaches has had checkered outcomes in different countries. In several places, economic growth is being prioritised over human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. Some governments, private sector actors and foreign investors, on the back of neoliberal economic approaches, are undertaking activities that are threatening to, and in some instances truly undermining progress made in the pursuit of sustainable development. The consequence is that wealth is being produced at the expense of human wellbeing and safety. The adoption of such neoliberal development approaches constitute a significant challenge to sustainable development because it perpetuates epistemic injustices, racial capitalism and environmental degradation, leading to structural inequalities in these countries. We argue from the Du Boisian perspective that several of the challenges to sustainable development in Africa emanate from the failure of development actors to acknowledge epistemological diversities in Africa and incorporate indigenous knowledges and traditional practices into sustainable development models. There is the need to decolonise development epistemologies to address the power dynamics that often characterise neoliberal development approaches. This will promote epistemological diversity, respect for indigenous cultural knowledges, and emphasise participatory and inclusive development.