The African puzzle is one which is very mutative. Recent mutations seem to be competing with the HIV virus as far as tracking and pinning down are concerned. I have been shocked at how on this continent of ours we cannot prioritise on core issues. I must confess that the happenings on this our dear continent are increasingly escaping the reach of comprehension.
I hold two countries responsible for my increased failure in understanding the happenings on the continent - Malawi and Madagascar.
It is no other date other than 10th March 2009. This is the day the International Monetary Fund was not at its seat in Washington but in Tanzania making scary forecasts about the African economy, that the world is facing its 'greatest recession' and that Africa will feel its full force. Gloomy pictures. Leaders of the world's economies which always determine Africa's economies are up and down trying to make sense of or put sense into this economic crisis. Gordon Brown has just been meeting Obama over the economy. The EU has been in countless meetings over the economy. These are the economies which when they sneeze Africa's catch a serious cold.
While a few African countries and citizens are concerned about how to sail through the economic turmoil's water, at least the people in Malawi and Madagascar have some other things more urgent and that demand priority over the economy.
Today the army chief in Madagascar has issued an ultimatum to the struggling sides to either concentrate on holding the nation together or risk a military take-over. The capital's mayor has had his supporters staging bloody protests demanding an exist of the president. About 100 people have been killed in such protests in the past two months. Some sections of the army have vowed to side with the renegade mayor. They think the future for whatever the ills they can see about the present government can only be cured and good governance secured not by reformation of systems and structures but only through the installation of the mayor as the next president. This is looking not into the future, looking not beyond now, not beyond the capabilities of the individuals in the present, but just what is subjectively convenient now. This is a big problem in Africa. Even if the president might be the problem, his removal at least by following the due process of the law is a first step towards the right solution. Even if everybody wants him gone by yesterday, still the future is not insured by just swapping responsibilities to another 'nice' man. It lies in the reformation of systems and institutions. The people of Madagascar should by now know that the current president is facing his fall in the same fashion he rose up. They should have learnt by now that their style of change of leadership which always costs human lives is not among even the least efficient ways of changing government and making progress. May be they know better. May be they should be left alone.
Now to the Warm Heart of Africa. Elections are around the corner, 20th May2009 to be exact. Instead of focusing on how they will handle the economy in light of the global economic crisis my dear Malawi politicians with the current state of the economy are conducting themselves as though this were the period the world economy registered an unprecedented growth. John Tembo was out on Monday at a rally. His theme of the rally: the numbered days of the tenant of the state house. His message is one of the party forming government this year. That there will be universal fertiliser subsidies. But when thousands of tax-paying citizens of the donor countries are losing jobs, the tax which finances Malawi's (40%) budgetary support is it prudent to continue with making promises as usual when things are not that promising? When the citizens of the donor countries are being given of coming days of perseverance and collective effort in overcoming the economic difficulty is it not surprising to see Tembo promising free fertilizers as his friend Muluzi promises free secondary school education without any tuition fees? So you have leaders in donor countries urging their citizens to tighten their belts even harder in order to sail through, whereas on the receiving end the cunning Malawian politician is promising his citizens and counting on the money the squeezed citizens of donor countries will give that they should expect relaxation of contribution to the state coffers and that this is not a moment that demands extra commitment in our whatever enterprises. Instead as they put it this is the moment of receiving for free.
This is how it goes on my dear continent I love so much. I love it the more irrespective of such paradoxes that she is never short of.
I hold two countries responsible for my increased failure in understanding the happenings on the continent - Malawi and Madagascar.
It is no other date other than 10th March 2009. This is the day the International Monetary Fund was not at its seat in Washington but in Tanzania making scary forecasts about the African economy, that the world is facing its 'greatest recession' and that Africa will feel its full force. Gloomy pictures. Leaders of the world's economies which always determine Africa's economies are up and down trying to make sense of or put sense into this economic crisis. Gordon Brown has just been meeting Obama over the economy. The EU has been in countless meetings over the economy. These are the economies which when they sneeze Africa's catch a serious cold.
While a few African countries and citizens are concerned about how to sail through the economic turmoil's water, at least the people in Malawi and Madagascar have some other things more urgent and that demand priority over the economy.
Today the army chief in Madagascar has issued an ultimatum to the struggling sides to either concentrate on holding the nation together or risk a military take-over. The capital's mayor has had his supporters staging bloody protests demanding an exist of the president. About 100 people have been killed in such protests in the past two months. Some sections of the army have vowed to side with the renegade mayor. They think the future for whatever the ills they can see about the present government can only be cured and good governance secured not by reformation of systems and structures but only through the installation of the mayor as the next president. This is looking not into the future, looking not beyond now, not beyond the capabilities of the individuals in the present, but just what is subjectively convenient now. This is a big problem in Africa. Even if the president might be the problem, his removal at least by following the due process of the law is a first step towards the right solution. Even if everybody wants him gone by yesterday, still the future is not insured by just swapping responsibilities to another 'nice' man. It lies in the reformation of systems and institutions. The people of Madagascar should by now know that the current president is facing his fall in the same fashion he rose up. They should have learnt by now that their style of change of leadership which always costs human lives is not among even the least efficient ways of changing government and making progress. May be they know better. May be they should be left alone.
Now to the Warm Heart of Africa. Elections are around the corner, 20th May2009 to be exact. Instead of focusing on how they will handle the economy in light of the global economic crisis my dear Malawi politicians with the current state of the economy are conducting themselves as though this were the period the world economy registered an unprecedented growth. John Tembo was out on Monday at a rally. His theme of the rally: the numbered days of the tenant of the state house. His message is one of the party forming government this year. That there will be universal fertiliser subsidies. But when thousands of tax-paying citizens of the donor countries are losing jobs, the tax which finances Malawi's (40%) budgetary support is it prudent to continue with making promises as usual when things are not that promising? When the citizens of the donor countries are being given of coming days of perseverance and collective effort in overcoming the economic difficulty is it not surprising to see Tembo promising free fertilizers as his friend Muluzi promises free secondary school education without any tuition fees? So you have leaders in donor countries urging their citizens to tighten their belts even harder in order to sail through, whereas on the receiving end the cunning Malawian politician is promising his citizens and counting on the money the squeezed citizens of donor countries will give that they should expect relaxation of contribution to the state coffers and that this is not a moment that demands extra commitment in our whatever enterprises. Instead as they put it this is the moment of receiving for free.
This is how it goes on my dear continent I love so much. I love it the more irrespective of such paradoxes that she is never short of.
No comments:
Post a Comment