Links for August 23

‘Think Tanking’ in Zimbabwe

In the late seventies, Zimbabwean thinkers would gather in smoky bars in the capitals of Africa, North America and Europe to ponder over post-liberation war socio-economic revival. Out of these informal processes emerged geniuses like the late Dr Bernard Chidzero, Christopher Kuruneri, Alexander Kanengoni, Dr Ibbo Mandaza, the late Ariston Chambati, Chenjerai Hove, Dr Sam Moyo, Dr Daniel Ndlela, Dambudzo Marechera and Dr Edison Zvobgo.They evolved concept papers that at times were presented at the historic Zimbabwe House in London.

CARE International Rejects Food Aid

The recent rejection of food Aid by CARE International as quoted in the New York Times brings to the fore the negative effect of aid to Africa. CARE turned down some $45 million worth of donations in what it pointed out to be a threat to crop production to local farmers.

Kenya: President Rejects Media Bill

The media won a major victory yesterday when President Kibaki rejected a clause in the Media Bill that would have forced editors to reveal their confidential sources.

President Kibaki described the clause as "offensive and a threat to democracy" as he returned the Bill to Parliament to delete the clause.

Democratic Space Widens in Ghana

Once a playground of military juntas, autocrats, and one-party apparatchiks, Ghana has experienced its share of rough-and-tumble politics including execution of some military politicians. Fifteen years since multiparty democracy was instituted, the democratic field is getting more fertile. The media is growing and getting freer; Ghanaians discuss sensitive national issues openly and freely; women are increasingly being empowered; multiethnic marriage is booming; and the judiciary is gradually re-tooling itself and opening up to alternate dispute resolutions

African Tigers Re-Born

Some scientists believe that there were tigers in Africa a million years ago, but some species died out. The more recent hopes that the continent would generate tiger economies have been equally blighted.

Think of Ghana. When the former Gold Coast gained independence in 1957, its prospects were bright. The new country was rich in cocoa and gold and its population was relatively well-educated. But a long series of coups and persistent corruption dashed those hopes. Ghana is still resource-rich, but it relies on foreign aid for 11% of gross domestic product, and 60% of the population still toils away in subsistence agriculture.

An oil discovery and some changed thinking may be giving Ghana another chance. As John Kufuor, Ghana's president, put it, 'We're going to really zoom, accelerate.'

Oil alone certainly won't work miracles, despite a local newspaper's enthusiastic headline: 'Thank God, Oil at Last, Thank God.' In Nigeria, Angola and Venezuela, huge oil wealth has been disastrous, thwarting the nonoil economy and fertilizing corruption. Fortunately for Ghana, the country's oil revenues are expected to be more moderate -- a little less than the current flow of foreign aid.

A few brave global investors claim that some African countries, including Ghana, are finally learning the lessons of African failure and Asian tiger success. What makes economies successful isn't gifts from foreigners or royalties from oil producers, but bourgeois virtues: education, infrastructure, honest government, middle-class savings, a widespread work ethic, small families and so forth.

The newfound optimism may be a triumph of hope over experience, or a misreading of the effects of the current boom in resource prices. But it does look like a smaller portion of the windfall revenue is being wasted than in the past. That goes along with growing middle classes and more economically responsible governments.

Right now, the only tigers in Africa are a few specimens imported from China. But Mr. Kufuor may be right in his hopes for an indigenous species: 'You come back in five years, and you'll see that Ghana truly is the African tiger.'

Source: StreetInsider

Oil in Ghana, be carefull!

Oil companies have been exporting Oil out of West and Central Africa for years. Now the country of Ghana can finally say it will be a net exporter of this Black Gold. We all know that Oil is in great demand around the world and countries have used this commodity to help with development.

I just hope when the oil starts flowing the Government of Ghana doesn't abuse it's new source of revenue.

Read more from Ghanaweb.com