Man I am with you all the way. You are a born narrator and I bow down to you the more than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees (no pun meant). I didnt know wheather to shout out, cry, scream or laugh as I read through. What you said is so true and I realised it back in 2000 when I went to Geneva and talked to some trade guys, you know in the spirit of let there be fair trade. To cut a long story short none of these politicians are going to allow their citizens to become jobless, not now, not in a million years. As this would be the consequence of having a true Free Trade. Look even Chirac is jeopardising the EU by protecting his farmers. So who are we africans then to ask for fairness?

As a venerable citizen of the Country of Kundu it saddens my spirit so to see that I am not important.
But then again I always knew that. Shall wait for the outcome. Maybe this time the president will be found around the axis of evil… time will tell.
BTW this is a very nice work of fiction.

kijana you should get paid major bucks for your posts-ever thought of writin for gazeti’s

oh yuo better believe ‘secret love’
..those lines uuuuuwiiiii “..i shoulda known tha u wanted me to be …why cant we tell somebody…” let me pause for the cause

@ M its amazing how you write about things, you put it out there such that people read and are moved by what you write. I discovered your blog from the BBC site and since then I have been hooked. I just wanted to let you know that your writing is a powerful weapon and a few more people like you and more people would seriously listen with both ears,comprehend and do somethin about it rather than listen and then shrug it off.

I found this two links and figured since alot of people read you blog they will read this. It might interest them too as it did me.

Click HERE

Click HERE

I apologise for blogging on your blog. I am hooked to your blog and check daily to see what you have to say so keep doing what you do.

Good post M. Very thought provoking. Which is a good thing because first thing we need to understand is that global politics are very complicated. Vested interests, truths, untruths, red herrings, malice, history. The bulk of the matter is below the surface. The more open minded we are, the more we are willing to listen and share to other opinions, the better our chances of sailing these unpredictable seas.

B.

With regards to Live8, the mere fact that the attitudes and indeed policy of some of the leaders of the largest industrialized countries on the planet towards “A free car” appear influenced by a couple of clapped out Irish musicians fills me with revulsion. Bono and Geldof would style themselves modern-day Wilberforces freeing the ‘poverty slaves’ of Africa. I think we can all see that there is little self-sacrifice involved in their actions.

I agree that trade reform is the most vital element, and if it’s of any encouragement Bush/Raygun (I forget) stated in an interview on the UKs ITV1 that he would consider reductions in American farm subsidies as soon as Europe scrapped the Common Agricultural Policy! So that will all be sorted out in the next few weeks…maybe not.

I wouldn’t underestimate the scale of the problem even if the billions of dollars worth of American and European subsidies were to magically disappear as well as tariffs on processed value-added goods. Despite the obvious competitive advantage many African countries have in terms of production costs there is still plenty of competition out there giving an incompetent government plenty of opportunity to squander the entrepreneurial promise of their populace.

Beyond the demagoguery of Live8 and the patronizing coin tossing of the G8 there are pressing issues that ONLY African states can deal with, may not require huge financial resources and may change the nature of the continent for the better. The recent unity of W African states in being willing to use sanctions to prevent an overt coup in Togo is a hopeful portent but Zimbabwe could be a real watershed. Mugabe has demonstrated himself either through malice or incompetence utterly incapable of leading his country, blundering from one disastrous initiative to the next. If Mbeki were to end the ‘quiet diplomacy’ of SA and in conjunction with other willing SA partners engage in a policy of active condemnation, backed by sanctions I doubt major western trade partners with Zimbabwe would be able to avoid sanctions of their own. Zimbabwe is on the brink as it is and I doubt the Mugabe government could survive the financial pressures. With one change of policy the SA government could demonstrate that there is a limit to which well governed African states are willing to tolerate the utter negligence of their neighbours.

hey great post. I enjoyed (not sure if thats the right word) reading it. it was a good reminder for me on perspectives I easily forget, living in a western world and all. (bad excuse for ignorance, but eh)

found the site from reading cnn article on G8, which had related link about live8, which brought me to aolmusic’s site on live8.. and on the bottom showed your the post from technorati.com

your check list of the G8 outcome sounds about right.

damn, this is one of those real problems.

sigh.

this is my first visit to your blog, but i will definitely be back! as a student of international (sustainable!)development, i appreciate the opportunity you extend to discuss these issues in an open, diverse forum.

i am entirely disappointed that the un millennium development goals have virtually gone unmentioned in the heyday of self-righteous, paternalistic celebrities. hey people! your leaders have ALREADY agreed to all this stuff! there is an international pact that binds you, as citizens of the world, to hold your leaders to their commitments. why do we forget the progress weve made and keep starting over every few months? at this rate, nothing is likely to get done, just like the mcc was not able to get anything done throughout the whole term of its previous leadership. awareness is nice, but education is better. rise, o people, and INFORM yourselves!

-anisa

Powerful post..Agree with you wholeheartdely

Nice post, M brilliant as usual.

However, on the Zimbabwe issue I beg to differ. I’ve lived in Zim since 1999 and have seen first hand how the country’s economy has tanked with inflation rate reaching double digits and fuel shortages due to a chronic shortage of foreign currency. I’ve also seen the otherwise respectable BBC claim there were riots in downtown Harare whereas I’d have just come from college downtown and there was no sign of violence.

Western news outlets have a near monopoly on global information (and disinformation), which makes them a very powerful part of their already impressive arsenal. According to Noam Chomsky once the agenda setters like New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and BBC set the agenda the rest of the world press (including African ones) follow suit. At least the Middle East has Al Jazeera to offer an alternative perspective.

So what is so different between the slum demolitions in Zim and the slum demolitions in Kenya to build the so called by-passes? Why did the world media ignore it until the Catholic church under the late Pope John Paul II had to diplomatically step in?

According to Hernando de Soto in his book “The Mystery of Capital” during the industrial revolution Western cities engaged in the very same slum demolitions as rural-urban migration increased and slums propagated in the urban areas. Where were human rights then? I guess they conveniently hadn’t been discovered.

I don’t support the demolitions, they didn’t work in the West and they won’t work with us. I think they are only a short term solution. But Kenya and other Third World countries do it, the West did it so why should Zim be any different? Couldn’t Zim and in deed other Third World countries be undergoing their own industrial revolution (massive rural-urban migrations) with all its teething problems. And aren’t they likely to make the same mistakes as the West did before figuring it out?

The Zim situation is very complex yet it lies at the heart of Africa’s problems because we have the same land problem in Kenya (to a less extent as most settlers fled to Zim after our Uhuru) and the whole of southern Africa. That’s why it would be political suicide (and not cowardice) for Mbeki to criticize Mugabe. Remember the ANC is predominantly black and they are the ones without the land just like their brethren in Zim.

Those who think removing Mugabe would solve its problems are dead wrong. These problems run deeper than just Mugabe and Blair. Without its Commonwealth Britain is just an island and without their land the so-called Zim war veterans would have gone back to the bush for a “Second Chimurenga.”

There’s a misconception that the farm invasions are Mugabe’s brain child. I think not, they were orchestrated by the war veterans under leaders such as the late Chenjerai “Hitler” Hunzvi, Joseph Chinotimba, Francis “Black Jesus” Zimuto etc after waiting 20 years in vain for land they had fought for. Anyone who was in Zim at that time knows just what a formidable political force these war veterans were. Mugabe just hijacked their agenda as it was a popular cause in order to win the elections as MDC was really giving him a run for his money. So Mugabe jumped in bed with the war veterans and the MDC with the Commercial Farmer’s Union (CFU) an organization of white commercial farmers who funded them. That probably explains the MDC changing fortunes as they are now seen as stooges.

The farm invasions would have gone on with or without the govt’s blessing and if they were stopped (which the govt initially tried) the country would have gone into a possible civil war.

I don’t support Mugabe or any other non-democratic leader (not that democracy is all that just look at our parliament) but the Zim situation is very complex and I am yet to understand it myself.

Otherwise M keep up the good work.

Well said…well enough said anyway.

—Dan (in Oklahoma)

Such a sad state of affairs. Your spinning humor into it almost makes me cringe at the realization most readers will dismiss this as a farce or lampoon of the situation. Something needs to be done. Not just singing and arguing across a big mahogany table from large plush chairs.
Another thing about charities by the way: They are almost always founded and perpetuated by big business or celebrities, individuals with a lot of money. Yet, they are also the first to ask for a handout. For those of you who understand the process, those same celebrities and businesses then use the gross proceeds as a tax write-off, then equate a net payoff based off appearance fees, awards ceremonies, and advertising costs. The resulting “aid” is then funneled into our good author’s dictator’s sparkly car.
It gets more convoluted than that, too, and I’m guessing the situation is much worse than our dear author describes, if I’m guessing correctly.

You’ve made a convert here. Seems history is repeating in Africa as the methods honed in South America are applied. As the success of Asian economies challenge the verities of this Western socio-economic hegemony, do you think perhaps a window for positive African action will open?

Savco

Your defence of the Mugabe government is truly remarkable. It appears that unemployment levels of greater than 70% and triple digit inflation, as well as policy interventions that make Ian Smith’s Rhodesia appear an idyll of social democracy aren’t enough for you to decide that his government isn’t quite on the right track. No doubt you believe he is capable of far greater achievements, maybe he could instigate a civil war?

The fact that other countries (in more recent times Ivory coast, Nigeria etc.) have pursued a policy of slum clearance in a similar manner doesn’t seem to make the current campaign any more justified. It was wrong when they did it, it is wrong when the current Zim government does it. You, yourself state that the slum clearance policy is counterproductive and yet perversely seem affronted that others outside Zim might say the same thing.

The “heart of Africa’s problems” as you call it is actually greater than the distribution of land. Many other countries around the world have had similar problems of agrarian reform. It has been fundamental to the development of many states from France at the time of the revolution to the more recent emergent Asian Tiger economies. African states are also not the only states with large slum/illegal housing populations in urban centres. The heart of the problem is how do you go about tackling these problems. No one should argue that Mugabe’s governments have not been faced by major problems requiring state intervention, but the crass, blundering manner which they have gone about tackling issues has objectively worsened his own state’s economy, media conspiracy or no media conspiracy.

Land reform is a case in point. Post the Lancaster House Agreement ZANU-PF may have been hogtied regarding compulsory purchase but they nevertheless in the 1980s managed to achieve 40% of their desired acquisitions. Why then did land distribution actually considerably slow after the Mugabe government was free of the Lancaster House constraints at the beginning of the 1990s, and had actually introduced legislation to facilitate land purchase? It is the reduced priority that was given to land reform in the 1990s that has come back to haunt Zim now, coupled with unfulfilled promises made to war veterans organizations. The conflation of the two problems resulted in the politically expedient support of farm invasions. When a government abandons the idea of property rights, supporting a mob in the illegal acquisition of property something has gone very wrong. You do not serve the interests of poor Zimbabwean farmers (black or otherwise) by debasing the legal framework that gives their land rights meaning.

Your theory that this is all just Zim going through it’s own Industrial Revolution I would suggest is optimistic. Where is the evidence of growth in the Zimbabwean economy to support that notion. Unemployed rural people moving to urban centres isn’t enough for an economic revolution. More depressing is your notion that Zim should “make the same mistakes as the West did…” Since when was governing a country just about aimless trial and error? Why do you have such incredibly low expectations of the quality of a government?

I don’t know enough about SA politics to gauge the extent to which it would be political suicide for Mbeki to condemn Mugabe (he can’t seek another term of office anyway can he), but if it is suicide that speaks volumes. Condemning the manner in which Zim pursue policy does not necessarily mean condemning their stated objective (e.g. land redistribution), saying nothing merely perpetuates the belief that any rabble no matter how incompetent can run an African state into the ground without a word of rebuke from those who should know better.

Wealthy and healthy discussion!

Savco,(both)your allegations that

i)Slum destruction is part of a industrial revolution,

and

ii)Zim’s war vets, thought up the farm invasions (not Mugabe/ZANU-PF)

are flat wrong.

Destruction of any infrastructure (legal or extralegal) does not spur growth. Neither does De Soto endorse it. Having read both “The mystery of capital” and “The other path,” I have to say the link you draw between “Operration Murambatsvina” and what De Soto says is extremely weak. In fact in both texts, and in other research he has done De Soto says this kind of maligning of the informals is what stunts economic development.

In citing examples from 19th century Europe, he is illustrating how mercantilist governments were anathema to the creative genius of informals before they realized that all they had to do was include the informals nad there would be peace. Applied to Zimbabwe today, De Soto’s point would impel that rather than destroy the informal market and the housing schemes (aka “slums), Mugabe & Co. should be finding ways legitimize those developments because that is where the creative genius, efficient pricing structures and “real” market prices are at work unrestrained.

De Soto’s thesis is about finding ways to encompass those who are outside the proverbial “glass jar” (legal economy). Destruction does not do that. Only legal reform or revolt will get us there.

Depending on when you arrived in Zimbabwe in 1999 you might have been aware of 1998 strikes,the referundum, and the subsequent formation of the MDC. I’m not going to go into all the details. ZANU-PF was seeing the writing on the wall. MDC was the political voice that now commanded the people’s attention and articulated their concerns, Mugabe & Co. were destined to oblivion.

To make matters worse ZANUlost the referundum on the constitutional ammendments (among which they sought to increase the number of terms an individual could be president because Mugabe was ineligible to remain in office come 2002)and were facing parlimentary elections in 2000. It was clear the MDC though new, were going to win the election and ZANU had no platform.

Quite fortuitously (or not) some COMMUNAL FARMERS not war vets moved onto a couple commercial farms in Sadza area in Seke. Mugabe then ingenously seized on this opportunity to awaken to the realization that what Zimbabwe’s liberators had fought for had not yet been achieved, the African had to have his land back. So he endorsed the occupations. Mugabe was quoted on state radio, tv, and in the papers justifying the takeover of the farms.

There were no war veterans when the occupations started. The war vets, who were still gloating over their recently awarded gratuities had no immiediate incentive to join the land grab. So they didn’t join it until at least 6 weeks after the first farms had been occupied.

By way, if the war vets were as potent you claim they were/are, why did it take them 25 years to recieve gratuities from the government? If Mugabe wasn’t buying their support, why didn’t pay them earlier. I could also question the plausability of an authentic “war vet” in Zimbabwe 25 years after the liberation struggle with as low a life expectancy as we have, but I won’t.

Land redistribution in Zimbabwe has been politicized and that was the doing of Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF. See this and this for more details.

That’s what makes the slum clearence and everything else so wrong in Zimbabwe. It’s not genuine, it’s all for political mileage.

Well, those “poor” countries will never help themselves as long as we in the West keep enabling them to freeload off of us.

The so-called richest nations of the world are now well on their way to becoming Third World nations themselves, and yet, we are obliged and forced to support, house and feed the parasites of this world.

When are Africa and Asia going to get going with fund-raising for Europe and the United States to help support their now broken social welfare systems due to their generous asylum policies to these Third World parasites?

Let me clarify that I don’t support slum demolitions, any Zim political party, Blair or even the Freedom Fries served in the Congress cafeteria. Actually I prefer Burger King fries, if anyone was curious to know!

@Solon – One cannot discuss Zim as if it exists in a vacuum, so spare me the academic rhetoric – I lived it bread, fuel shortages and all. There are 12 million Zimbos and it would be plain arrogant to discuss their country as if they don’t have their own unique poltical outlook which isn’t what’s peddled in the West. I suggest following Zimpundit’s link.

@Zimpundit – Ndeipi shamwari . I never suggested destruction of property creates wealth. That would be plain absurd and irresponsible! I’m aware of the 1998 strikes, referendum etc and I think your link actually expressed what I was trying to convey much better.

On Live8, I think now that awareness has been raised over our poverty, we should make G8s work easier. Since they can’t quite agree on the best way to tackle poverty, I suggest African countries make that decision for them.

We should unilaterally default on our debts since after the concerts we would be holding the moral high ground. It won’t be the first time either, the southern states defaulted after the American Civil War.

Oh yeah and maybe I should have put industrial revolution in quotes, my bad.

@ Savco

I apologize for my “academic rhetoric”. If it would make any of the substantive points I made any more palatable to you imagine me a poor, black Zimbabwean farmer who has also “lived it” (since that image seems to appeal).

Zimpundit’s first link supports my statements on land reform, and the second considers the inadequacies of the MDC. As far as I’m aware I’ve not argued that the Zimbabwean people should have any political outlook unique or otherwise. I’ve certainly not argued that they should support the MDC. I’ve merely argued that on the grounds of negligent and callous government of Zimbabwe, neighbouring states should condemn the Mugabe government.

Don’t lose sleep over what western media agencies peddle, they really aren’t that bothered. If Zimbabwe disappeared off the face of the Earth tomorrow I doubt few would notice. Forget the messenger objectively assess the message.

Regarding debt defaulting, Argentina’s 2001 debt default to the IMF might be a more current example to consider. I’m no economist and won’t attempt to comment on the lasting success of their policy but it does follow on from defaults in 1982 and 1989, after which they were apparently able to get back foreign investment. I do however doubt that lenders will be much moved by moral authority derived from a pop concert.

Charity begins at home & for all the pontificating at least some folks in the Developed world want to help – however little or much it is.

Most people who donate want recognition. How many anon donors do you know?

Africa is a BLACK HOLE… it sucks in & gives out almost zilch BUT when it gives it will give back more… only problem for us (in the present) is whether we will see any benefits!

BTW… before anyone accuses me of using black as a racist term… go take a hike… According to the latest theories – including by Hawking – Black Holes emit some energy/particles. Too complex me to recite here… BUT I liked the analogy…

BOTTOMLINE: Only Africans (Black, White, Yellow & the Green Martian who has taken up permanent residence) can help but while intellectuals debate these issues the Neanderthals run Africa.

However much the African press, presidents, dictators-at-large & personal nurses support mugabe, he is an ape (apologies to the real apes) of the lowest order. And he is but a microsm of what ails Africa. He may be the last of the breed but mubarak, gadaffi & other still hound us.

For some unfathomable reason – well, to me – the hoi polloi love these guys! Whether it is through the gun or butter or sugar (in Ukambani)… they hang on there.

Where is the people power like what the Filipinos did? Of course, the fools elected a “movie star” – not in Reagan’s mould who was a better politician than actor anyway – to the presidency!

My vitriol is directed at the Africans who after 40 years of independence are still blaming the colonisers!

Ghana, Malaysia & Indonesia all attained independence at the same time. Ghana is a basket case while Malaysia builds its own cars which it exports to the UK!!! Imagine the Proton is EXPORTED to a 1st world country! In 40 years Malays per capita income is 10 time Ghana’s… BTW in 1957, Malaysia had a lower PCI than Ghana!

Even India – which gripes about everyone… they blame the UK as colonisers, USA for the perceived level of “unimportance” they view India, China as a regional threat, etc… has developed into a powerhouse!

India is in reality many countries rolled up into one! The Kashmiris of North India have as much in common with Tamils of South India as Touaregs have with the Zulus!

Even Yahoo & Forbes reported on a family (Ambani Family) empire breakup coz they run/control Reliance Group whose value is larger then most African economies!

This was a country synonymous with poverty, cholera & Mother Teresa! Now most of Indian news on Yahoo deals with the PLUSES like software, outsourcing & economic might.

China & India are being blamed – why blame them… the West needs to cut their oil consumption! – for the high oil prices coz their economies are growing in the 7-10% range! Kenya grew 4.3% in 2004. Even that is suspect!

In conclusion – stop blaming the West, the East or the Martians & get down to building the economy one piece at a time. Narwal Shopping Center (sp?) in Mombasa (Kenya) exclusively sells Chinese made goods! I was very embarassed & angry that it was FULL of shoppers while Kenyan made goods of similar price & quality can’t find a market. And then the intellectuals & hoi polloi complain of unemployment!

Other countries’ leaders – whether Bush, Chirac, Blair, Singh, Peng, etc – are expected to promote their countries’ interests above all else & they do so. Only African nincompoops – many elected by us e.g. kibaki – do not do so but gulp French champagne, while downing American ARVs (not generic!), driving German cars…

If not for ARVs many of these African “leaders” would have croaked! I wish they had… Let’s face it wamalwa died “suddenly”… & his widow gets a publicly funded mansion while Kenyans are homeless!

abacha apparently had a stroke while f***ing Indian whores! What’s wrong with the Nigerian mamas? Ever seem those Nollywood movies?

Oh, well… maybe my grandkids will see better days… & be (really) proud Africans!

And trust me there is no pride in being poor, hungry & proud! So no mumbo-jumbo about being proud now… unless you are South African or Botswanan (sp?)…