Abstract: | No theory devised so far, no country in practice has charted any other possible choice fof 20th century but that between capitalism and socialism. For most if not all independent African countries, the choice is a crucial one. Is there some better way out, some path to socialism which does not require African countries to drag themselves slowly and painfully through each stage of capitalist production until eventually, at the cost of the lives and happiness of several generations, the conditions are ripe for socialism? Cannot Africa proceed immediately to the construction of socialism, before class antagonisms develop too sharply, destroying the collectivist forms of social organisation and communal traditions of African society which existed before the advent of colonialism and have to some extent survived its demise? This theme of the non-capitalist road of development is explained and defended. |