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between African and African would have led to the accumulation of a social surplus and the emergence of classes. In the Nile Valley this development took place as far back as 5,000 B.C.

Archeological and other evidence indicate that these changes in the mode of production, even though embryonic, were already taking place all over the African continent, even as far down as the northern bank of the Limpopo. The massive Zimbabwe ruins and others in the same area testify to the existence of that social surplus which in history has been the immediate cause of class society. There is no basis whatsoever for the view that classless society was inherent among Africans and that if Europeans had not subjugated our people communal society would have lasted forever.

Nevertheless African socialism sums up a historical and cultural heritage which has a strong appeal to many African thinkers and which has a future and it would be certainly a mistake to treat it lightly. Even more important its adoption by the new African states is basically a condemnation of capitalism and the acceptance of socialism as a superior system that will guarantee higher standards of living and real happiness to all men. Nyerere, Nkrumah and others must be complimented for their valuable pioneering work in this sphere. As men whose outlook was shaped in the crucible of the anti colonial struggle, who were deeply involved in bread and butter politics and who are now leading their respective countries in the historic task of social reconstruction it would be quite unfair to expect more than they have done in the field of theoretical work. They have laid the ground plan and it is for the new generation to develop their ideas on the basis of the historical process as a whole and to raise African socialism to the status of scientific socialism.