Paul Pogba and the tribulations of the richest person in an African family

Black tax is common among Africans. Black tax refers to money black (African) people have to send back home to take care of the family when they start earning money.

What happened?

This Saturday, Pogba's brother, Mathias Pogba posted a video online where he said that he was going to expose his brother. He said that the information he would reveal is important for Pogba's French teammates, his Juventus teammates and even his sponsors.

He also hinted that Pogba used black magic (juju), even though he is a practising Muslim. when playing with Mbappe and caused an injury.

In a tweet, Mathias said it's not about money: “You implicated me despite myself, I almost died because of you, you left me in the hole while fleeing and you want to play the innocent, when everything is said people will see that there is no more coward, more traitor and more hypocrite than you on this earth.”

Pogba’s reply

Pogba and his reps have said that he was kidnapped by some old friends and family for two days (in March) while visiting his family in France.

While kidnapped, he was asked to pay £13million by men who said they were the ones who have been protecting Pogba secretly and he was accused of not helping them financially.

He saw these blackmailers in April and also in July while in Turin, Italy.

Black Tax in Africa

Betraying a family member in the way Mathias is doing seems a little extreme but it isn't new.

In Africa (and some other parts of the world), woe betides you if you’re the richest person in your family and you neglect them.

Once there is one rich person in the family, everyone becomes entitled to their money- especially a family that once lived deep in poverty. That person carries the responsibility of the entire family and even friends.

If the person fails to cater to all their demands, then they are labelled a bad person.

Pogba isn’t the only African who has faced this sort of situation, you’d recall former Manchester City and Tottenham striker, Emmanuel Adebayor said his Togolese family made him suicidal.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Instagram) Instagram

He told the press;

"Things are hard to bear when you are working hard to lift your family out of poverty, but they are still opposed to you…"

"I often change my phone number so that my family can't contact me. They call me, not to ask how I am, but to demand money. That was the case after I injured my hamstring while with Tottenham."

"They rang me while I was having a scan to ask me if I could pay a kid's school fees. At least ask me first how I am before you do this!"

He accused his mother of carrying out black magic on him which affected his form while he played in Tottenham.

The reality is a pattern and one we face as Africans, perhaps because we evolved from a communal society.

Yet, the complete lack of boundaries and the sense of entitlement is wild. Yes, the richest members of the family ought to care for their family and not leave them in abject poverty, but all within reasonable limits and not out of compulsion.