When Western countries are done with their old beat-up cars, they don’t just dispose of them. Instead, they dump millions of used cars in African countries.
And the consequences are deadly.
Research shows that between 2015 and 2018, the European Union, Japan, and the United States exported 14 million used vehicles worldwide. Forty percent of these went to African countries.
But it’s not just a matter of taking up space.
These “dirty car” exports are environmentally damaging. These countries preach about energy-efficient cars at home while knowingly shipping diesel, gas-guzzling, and deadly air-polluting vehicles in large numbers to African countries, many of which wouldn’t pass their safety standards.
Many African countries have set up automotive policies to boost local car production and reduce their vehicle import bans. While these bans are a step in the right direction, these policies alone aren’t enough.
This one crucial thing has to change, too.
The lasting effects of colonization still affect so many of our people. There’s a lot to unlearn, and we must commit to liberation. True independence and freedom are worth the challenge.