Gashumba’s attack is less about the miracle industry, but the neoliberal state

Before the world war between itinerant commentator Frank Gashumba and the pentecostal pastors exploded over alleged fake miracles and the overall commoditization of religion, I had written in these pages about the predicament of not seeing our poverty as a collective condition.

In the article titled*’ Why Ugandans are terrifyingly broke’,* I pointed out the difficulty to see our pain collectively was a product of years of neoliberal brainwashing, which, sadly, has become common sense.

I noted that neoliberalism denies its victims the chance to see their poverty and pain as a collective condition. Instead, everyone is on their own. This worldview becomes prominent in the 1980s with the violent enforcement of Structural Adjustment Programmes on small countries especially in Africa. (Many countries in North Africa and South East Asia refused the tyranny of SAPs, and are miles ahead).

In countries where it was accepted, neoliberalism came with a specific set of practices, cultures and discourses: Privatisation gave rise to individualism. Since everything is one’s private business – be it happiness or pain – everything is kept away in a private place. You make it alone. You suffer alone.

Those who fail to make it, the victims of exploitation are endlessly reminded that this was all on them individually: You are either lazy, unlucky or bewitched. Indeed, there is a full industry of motivational speakers and institutions who thrive on simply chanting these selfish neoliberal slogans: You have to work hard. Learn a saving culture. Don’t be lazy; wake up early.

Do not be too generous with your income. The rich don’t just donate their monies fwaa. A failure to master these self-help/selfish traits is your ruin. There are a gazillion books reiterating these slogans. Have you not seen NGOs in the business of teaching saving culture to people who have nothing to eat!

But all these motivational speakers, NGOs and self-help authors will not tell you about corporations creaming money from entire populations by selling essential goods and services.

They will not tell you about the crazy interest rates (sometimes reaching 40 per cent), and extortionist fees charged by telecoms, and electricity companies. Because these not only get money into the hands of a few, but also (especially in the Ugandan case) take money out of the country.

Essential goods and services end up very expensive in a country where all money has been syphoned out. Neither will they tell you about the mega corporations – both local and foreign – which have monopolized entire sectors and businesses from which ordinary folks made their livelihood: Coffee trade, banking, fishing among others.

Motivational speakers – in true neoliberal spirit – insist on telling wananchi that their poverty and pain is just about them individually, independently.

**ENTER PREACHERS, PROPHETS, AND SHEIKHS **

To motivational speakers, add religious institutions, especially the Pentecostal movement, who, as historian William Leech has told us, have replaced a good life to mean more goods.

Indeed, Leech tells us in his magnificent book, The Land of Desire, that the American Pentecostal movement received major capture and got entangled with modern consumer culture, with major merchants such as John Wanamaker (widely considered the founder of the modern departmental store) deeply connected movements such as Young Christian Men/Women Associations.

They encouraged faith and consumption. Indeed, not having a good life – that is, more goods – continues to be explained as lack of blessings. The more progressive Pentecostal preachers preach the gospel of hard work.

And those who have made it in life – irrespective of the way they did – have the Lord to thank for the blessings and good fortune. Even big thieves, be they in politics or minerals abroad.

Ever wondered why thieves in big political offices have front-row seats in churches? Because corruption against invisible persons, William Leech says came to be seen as a lesser sin or not a sin at all.

Individual or direct sins such as petty theft, deception or adultery became the big sin in modern culture, which mixed consumption and faith. Either way, all this focus on the person reiterates the neoliberal discourses –you are on your own.

Now, since many Ugandans are hardworking, the more plausible explanation for their pain and penury becomes one of the two or both: unlucky, and have to search for luck/blessing or are bewitched, and ought to seek salvation from witchcraft.

Convinced that this is the problem, many Ugandans find themselves left with two choices: the direction of Mama Fiina or the direction of an Apostle, Prophet or Sheikh. All are selling the same things: blessings, miracles and healing from witchcraft.

Although Islam has no space for men or women anointed with powers to perform miracles, neoliberalism has not spared our tradition. Many sheikhs have found a way around the prohibition.

In the spotlight presently are agencies in the business of taking Muslims to Mecca to perform Hajj or Hijja. They are encouraging even poor people to make the journey to Mecca selling this journey as the miracle that will take them out of their poverty.

Notice here Hijja or Haji – as a fifth pillar of Islam – is exclusive to wealthy Muslims. But poor people are being encouraged to get a loan to perform Haji, which is against the tradition. But travel agencies are selling it as an anti-poverty miracle.

While buying blessings or anti-witchcraft remedies from Mama Fiina is consistent with her public identity, a man of God promising miracles for a fee – even if not faked – is inconsistent with public expectations.

God’s work cannot be commoditized. But Mama Fiina has been much maligned by our colonial education that she sees less business. And since the religious line is fancy and packaged in a western modernity (fancy clothing, English, often with an American accent, heavy automobiles), folks seeking blessings or cleansing from witchcraft find it a more publicly acceptable.

**WHEN THE STATE FAILS TO BE THE MIRACLE **

I am not sure Frank Gashumba fully appreciates that in confronting the miracle industry, this is an attack on the neoliberal state itself.

The state might not be in his direct line of fire, but his criticism puts the neoliberal character of the state under scrutiny. Notice that the people seeking blessings from either Mama Fiina or Pastor Bujingo or Sheikh Abubakr are not really looking for articles of ostentation or ‘more goods.’

People are sick and are met with a decrepit health sector with neither drugs nor equipment. People are hungry and struggling to find food or employment. These are basic needs that have to be provided by the state – as happens across most of the western world, especially Eastern Europe, Canada and Australia.

It is not just about the enlightenment in the western world. But in countries where high-quality healthcare, public transport, public education are provided by the state, individuals running miracle industries struggle badly.

Indeed, while professing being neoliberal in character, most of the states in the western world are welfare states. This includes, ironically, Israel where most Christians look in the course of mobilizing these miracles. Israel is a welfare state where one’s survival needs no miracles but the generosity of the state.

While people are individualistic and selfish, the state is socialist, and communal in character. Most of them try as much as possible to take care of their poor, their unemployed, and provide for new mothers with parental subsidies.

In fact, the state is the miracle. There is a direct correlation between apocalyptic neoliberalism and the explosion of the miracle industry: Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, the United States of America – just to mention the most renowned.

The point I am making is this: while Gashumba’s criticism of the commoditization of God and miracles is accurate – and many Ugandans agree with him – it ought to be understood as an invitation to discuss a much bigger problem: the discourses and ruins of neoliberalism.

Our poverty as a collective condition. If Uganda was imagined differently (with state healthcare, good public education, public transport, chances of employment), the miracle industry would have far less clients.

Without reforming the state in more meaningful ways, Gashumba’s criticism is exciting but barely scratches the surface.

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The author is a political theorist based at Makerere University

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