POVERTY IN AFRICA

Are Africans to blame?

This presentation looks at •Reasons for poverty in Africa•Solutions to poverty in Africa•Progress on poverty in Africa

COLONIALISM

Between 1885 and 1914 the UK took nearly 30% of Africa's population under its control. The colonial system was particularly focused on exploiting and extracting the continent's natural resources. African nations’ infrastructure was built to export the copper, timber, oil and gold.

“Cash crops” such as cotton or coffee were produced to be sold, on preferential terms to colonial powers.

POOR GOVERNANCE: ZIMBABWE

“When Mugabe said he was going to beat me at the polls, I didn’t think he meant it so literally”.

Morgan Tsvangirai

Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party used political violence to remain in power. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was beaten up for opposing Mugabe in presidential elections. Under the Zanu-PF, Zimbabwe went from being one of Africa’s richest countries to one of the poorest.

In February 2009, Morgan Tsvangirai joined a new, “Inclusive Government” as Prime Minister. Robert Mugabe remains President.

The economy is recovering but a great deal of damage has been done by Mugabe’s poor governance.

Political Violence

ECONOMIC MISMANAGEMENT: ZIMBABWE (AGAIN!)

In August 2006, Zimbabwe scrapped the old currency and brought in a new one. Most people stashed bags of money at home as the prices of goods and services climbed almost every few days.

Others, people who live around shopping centres went on shopping sprees, with some spending as much as $300 million on an assortment of goods. In February 2009, inflation in Zimbabwe was estimated at 10 sextillion % (10 to the power of 21), the highest in the world.

Even Zimbabwe’s ruling elite struggled. It is reported that when playing golf, they had to buy their drinks before they teed off. The prices would have doubled by the time they finished their round!

DEBT

According to Jubilee 2000, Kenya, with an average life expectancy of 48 years and an average income per head of $481, gives $364 million each year to the rich world in debt payments.

Its annual spending on health care is $430 million a year.

3rd world debt

TRADE

“Most countries, given the chance, would prefer to trade themselves out of poverty rather than live on handouts.”

Kofi Annan

"Trade is one of the key ways that Malawians living on around 15 kwacha - six pence - a day can escape grinding poverty. But it must be fair trade. Fair Trade is not about charity – it is a way to ensure workers receive fair prices and decent working conditions."

Lord McConnell

Oxfam Make Trade Fair campaign

THE BRAIN DRAIN

There are more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than there are in Ethiopia.

Many of Africa’s top professionals leave their countries to come and work in developed nations. Health workers especially, are in great need in African nations, but these workers can earn much higher salaries in the British NHS.

Brain Drain: Malawi

ARMED CONFLICTS

Blood Diamond

"Consumers have the power to effect industry-wide changes simply by demanding that their diamonds are clean." Alex Yearsley, Global Witness

During the period 1956 to 2001, Africa experienced 156 coups d’etats (overthrow of the government by the military).

Since 1956, over seven million Africans have been directly killed in war. The war in Chad lasted for forty years.

GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, SUDAN

Village torched by the Janjaweed.

The genocidal conflict in Darfur, in the west of Sudan has claimed some 400,000 lives.

The President of the country, Omar al-Bashir, has backed the Janjaweed, to flush out, by violent means, the rebels who operate from the midst of southern farmers.

There have been gruesome reports of torture, rapes and murders. Women and children appear to be targeted by the Janjaweed for brutal attacks.

Genocide in Darfur

South Sudan a year on

THE AFRICAN UNION (AU)

The AU replaced the old Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002.

The OAU was formed in 1963, a time when there much optimism in Africa. The AU’s great hope is the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

NEPAD is very much the idea of South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki.

The implicit idea of NEPAD is that more aid from will come to Africa from governments in the developed world if Africa can show transparently that the money is being well spent.

THE COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

The Commission for Africa was set up by Tony Blair in 2004. Its membership includes many African leaders.

Its conclusions on how Africa and developed nations can work together are contained in the Commission for Africa report.

It concentrates on six areas that Africa must address; good governance, preventing conflict, improving education, improving economic management, lowering trade barriers and eliminating debt.

Pretty much the issues we have covered in this power point!

STILL OUR COMMON INTEREST 2010

The Commission for Africa reported in September 2010. The report, “still our Common Interest” noted that there had been a number of improvements since 2004;

•There has been progress made towards an international Arms Trade Treaty.•There has been strong international support for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) that has enabled 300 million children to be immunised globally.•Access to the anti-retroviral treatments for HIV/AIDS has grown from 14% in 2005 to 43% in 2008•More children go to primary school and more get to sleep under a bed net that can protect them from malaria than ever before.•African nations are very close to eradicating polio.

“DEAD AID?”The economist Dambisa Moyo believes that rather than helping Africa, foreign aid is actually holding back African economies.

She believes that humanitarian aid encourages dependency. She would rather see Chinese-style business investment in African countries rather than traditional aid programmes.

However, another respected economist, Robert Cassen argues that good aid, does in fact work.

Dead Aid

MORE HAS TO BE DONE

The report highlights areas where improvements need to be made.

•There has been a relative lack of progress in improving the quality of basic education and in the number finishing primary school and going on to post-primary education.

•Sub-Saharan Africa remains the worst affected region in the world for HIV/AIDS.

•There has been underinvestment in reproductive health, contributing to the lack of progress in reducing child and maternal mortality.

•There still much to be done to attract investment – including a massive need for better infrastructure.Joining Up Africa

EAST AFRICAN FAMINE 2011

In 2011, for the first time since the 1980s, the UN declared a famine in Africa. Lack of rain during the key harvesting months was the cause, affecting more than 12 million people, mostly in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

These countries may always be vulnerable to environmental problems. But the impact of these problems depends on political factors; whether there is an absence of war and corruption and, in their place, good governance and decision making.

East African Famine 2011

IMPACT OF BAD GOVERNMENT: SOMALIA

There has been no central government in Somalia since 1991. In much of that period there has been civil war. It is internationally recognised as a failed state and is one of the poorest places on earth.

In southern Somalia, under the control of the Al-Shabaab rebel group, the inability of food agencies to work in the region since early 2010 has prevented the UN from reaching the very hungry, especially children. This has contributed to the current crisis.

Living in a Failed State

IMPACT OF BAD GOVERNMENT: KENYA

Kenya does not fit the description of the stereotypical drought-hit African country.

Many Britons go on holiday to Kenya. Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in the country last year. The capital city, Nairobi, is awash with expensive bars and five star hotels.

But, the Luo and Kikuyu tribes have never had much time for the rural, Islamic poor. Every day 135 tonnes of flowers and vegetables leave Kenya for UK supermarkets.

According to Transparency International, Kenya is perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world, coming 154th out of 178 in its 2010 Corruption perception Index.

Doing business in Kenya often depends upon greasing the correct palm. Companies shifting perishable goods risk losing the lot if they refuse to pay up.

Corruption in Kenya

IMPACT OF POOR INFRASTRUCTURE: ETHIOPIA

The cause of the 2011 famine is drought. But poor infrastructure makes everything in many African countries slower, less reliable and more expensive than it needs to be.

Ethiopia doesn’t just need better rural roads. It needs entire new logistics networks linking airports, railways and warehouses and new electricity grids to power them. It’s cities needs better water supplies and sanitation.

But both the developed and the developing countries have to be better in managing large capital aid projects. There has been too much corruption, favouritism in awarding contracts and a lack of maintenance.

IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS

Africa already has a $1.8 trillion economy and is forecast to have a population of 1.3 billion by 2020.

“Lion” economies such as Ghana and Rwanda have grown faster than South Korea, Taiwan and other so-called “tiger” economies in five of the past seven years.

The purchasing power of the African middle class is encouraging ever greater investment by the big global brands. The African Development Bank estimates that more than 34% of Africans (326m people) have between $2-$20 a day to spend.

SABMiller, the world’s second-largest beermaker, is planning to invest up to $2.5 billion in Africa over the next five years to build and revamp breweries.

Samsung has introduced solar-powered mobile phones.

Solar phones in Kenya

DEMOCRATISATION

In 1990 there were just three African countries with multi-party politics, universal suffrage, regular, fraud-free elections and secret ballots.

Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire have recently more democratic systems.

Nigeria, Niger and Ghana have all ran recent free and fair elections.

Due to the internet and social media, governments can no longer dominate the media the way they used to. Opposition groups can expose wrong-doing and expose

“Ghana is a good news story”