A preacher known for his controversial views on the West’s relationship with the continent has launched a viral campaign to convince Africans to only buy fabric made on the continent.
African fabrics, commonly called Holland wax, is dominated by companies in Netherlands and China.
“Mexican tequila is made in Mexico. Japanese kimonos are made in Japan. French champagne is made in France. Why is so-called African wax made in the Netherlands?” Asked Lamont Samuel Ivory, an African American which runs a ministry based in Nigeria.
His ministry receives prayer requests by people whose problems, he claims, are mostly driven by issues caused by Africa’s underdevelopment.
The evangelist says he started an activist group called Rebuild in 2017, to convince people on the continent to be more pro-African, especially in their purchasing habits. It has grown to having chapters in five countries. It is highly critical of free trade.
The group believes that free trade in the African context only means the dumping of cheap products on the African market.
“If you look at every developed country, they went through a period when they shielded their local markets from the outside competitors, giving them time to scale up. But the sub-Saharan countries are not allowed to do that. When Rwandan government tried to limit the amount of used clothes flooding into its market, the Trump administration threatened retaliation.”
To launch its campaign, the group has released a video; a skit performed by group members. It has since gone viral.
Responding to critics saying he is fostering xenophobia. “Not true at all. Many countries have campaigns to convince consumers to buy locally.”
“When Rebuild does it, when we say, ‘buy African buy black’ why does it become controversial?” Ivory asked.
