A disaster and miracle at the same time

On the one hand we are getting constant news reports on the brutal reality of unimaginable poverty, diseases, genocide, child soldiers and refugees fleeing war zones, only to be followed by programmes like “Africa Business Report” on the fantastic economic achievements the African continent is currently seeing. The day we learn that Africa can look after its problem zones by itself without Western aid and the UN, I may be inclined to believe what they are telling us. In addition to all this, Zeinab Badawi is conducting rather meaningless interviews in Tanzania with African personalities who also give us the impression of progress being made on all fronts.

Africans, who do not subscribe to this sort of optimism, like the musician and political activist Femi Kuti, are being invited on the “Hard Talk” programme. Mr Kuti was grilled by Zeinab Badawi, insinuating that he is “too pessimistic” about development in Africa. Mr Kuti reminded her that only 1 per cent of the Nigerian population benefits from the country’s enormous oil wealth while most people live in poverty. He then made the interesting comment that he also feels sorry for the poor in Western countries such Greece and Portugal. This is, of course, very kind of him, but he can rest assured that no one in those countries suffers even remotely the same degree of abject poverty and health risks as a large proportion of the African population.

Horst Bullinger

Bangkok