Stationary Bandit

Khama is coming

Botswana President Ian Khama will meet with President Obama on Thursday. 

"The two leaders are expected to discuss such issues as sound governance, economic development and the sustainable management of natural resources," a statement from the OP said on Monday evening. It added that HIV/AIDS will also form part of discussions between the two leaders.

The White House has described Botswana as a strong democratic partner in sub-Saharan Africa and a leader on the African continent in the field of conservation and HIV/Aids prevention and treatment.

Hopefully, they will focus on how Botswana transitioned from a very poor country to a relatively wealthy one so as to improve the development prospects of other African nations rather than the other issues.  That is, stress the sources of sound governance in sub-Saharan Africa (here is my take).  The “success” on HIV/AIDS prevention is debatable and conservation is not exactly a priority for many in the developing world- it is more of a developed world issue.  They seem off point for a region that has yet to sustain economic growth for decades.

Blood Diamonds, Zimbabwe Edition

From the BBC:

Zimbabwe is facing calls to be suspended from the international diamond trade following allegations of brutality by its soldiers.   Rights groups are lobbying members of the Kimberley Process, the body which regulates the trade in rough diamonds, to halt exports from Zimbabwe.

Mugabe needs revenue to stay in power (and maintain his lifestyle) and he has finally tapped the diamond revenues.  I doubt a movie will be made about the situation nor will the American press cover it beyond a brief passing (as of now there is no NYT or WP story).   As the situation continues to deteriorate, one wonders if the South African government will ever say enough is enough.   Or do Mugabe’s freedom fighting days trump his obvious human rights violations?

For a place characterized as anarchic, …

Somalia seems to be making economic progress.

A money-transfer company has made a piece of banking history in Somalia - introducing the first-ever debit card in the breakaway region of Somaliland.

The introduction of financial innovations is promising for the country.  Technology continues to enter the “failed” state.  Furthermore, violence in the region is not terribly prevalent.  Maybe anarchy is not that bad after all.  For some more evidence on Somalia’s economic performance since 1991, see here and here.

There was no winner of the…

The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.  “The prize awards $5 million over 10 years and $200,000 annually for life thereafter to encourage leadership that improves the prospects of people in the continent.”  Why no winner this year is not obvious to me?  Thabo Mbeki was mentioned but he seems undeserving to me.  His positions on HIV/AIDS and Mugabe are reasons enough.  John Kufuor would have been a deserving winner.  A peaceful democratic transition in Ghana is something to celebrate.  Here is one story about the decision.

Escalating Problems in Zimbabwe

The unity government is falling apart.

Eight months after entering a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai announced Friday that he and his party will boycott cabinet meetings and withdraw from dealing with Mr. Mugabe’s party, in the biggest breach yet in the new transitional government.

This, of course, is not surprising.  Mugabe remains a dictator and has little use for Mr. Tsvangirai. 

The catalyst for this step was the jailing Wednesday of Roy Bennett, Mr. Tsvangirai’s deputy agriculture minister-designate, a white farmer who is scheduled to stand trial Monday on three-year-old terrorism charges that his party, the Movement for Democratic Change, says are fabricated.

Politics as usual for Zimbabwe—when times are tough for Mugabe, blame the white farmers.  After all, Mugabe's policies could not be the problem. 

Has HIV/AIDS stabilized in Botswana?

It appears that it has.

The Minister of Health, Lesego Motsumi has announced that the spread of HIV/AIDS has stabilised in Botswana.  Speaking at the I-TECH Kabelano breakfast seminar on Tuesday, the minister said that in 2008, the prevalence rate was 17.6 percent compared to 17.1 percent in 2004. She said this raises hope that the pandemic is stabilising.

Shoot First to Reduce Crime

The relatively new President of South Africa has a plan to tackle the high violent crime rate in the country: allow police to use "lethal force" against criminals even if they do not shoot first. Raising the costs of crime should lead to less of it. Fair enough. Here is a quote:

"My thinking is that once a criminal takes out the gun, the intention is clear. The police must then act to protect himself or herself and the citizens," President Zuma said, drawing applause from the assembled police officers, reports the AFP news agency.

To put it mildly, this is problematic. First, I doubt it is clearly stated when it is appropriate for police to shoot first. Corruption plagues South Africa and this policy may offer a new avenue for corruption to take place. Second, will a rational criminal shoot first because of the threat of getting shot? Seems reasonable to me. Here is the story.

Trouble with Liberian Democracy

The Liberian President made some bad decisions in her past.

Liberia's truth and reconciliation commission has recommended barring President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and dozens of other high-profile figures from public office for 30 years for supporting armed groups in the country's civil wars.

Sirleaf, 70, acknowledged before the commission in February that she gave up to $10,000 to a rebel group headed by Charles Taylor. Sirleaf said the money she sent while an expatriate was meant for humanitarian services and that she was never a member of the group, the National Patriotic Front.

Sirleaf, to her credit, has performed well during her Presidency.  The civil war could have resumed but it did not.  She has pushed for educational reforms.  Aapparently many knew about the financial support for Taylor.  But should she be barred from public office?  Tentatively, I think not.  Let the Liberian people decide.  If she made an honest mistake, why punish her.  If she supported him, throw her out.  How barring her from public office attains the goals of reconciliation, I am not sure.

China enters Botswana's Mining Industry

I am not surprised by this.

CHINESE mining companies have acquired 10% of Botswana’s 1101 exploration licences after holding only a handful four years ago, Johannes Tsikamo, chief geologist at the Department of Geological Surveys, said this week.

Will this have any adverse impact on governance in Botswana as it has had in places like the Sudan?  I doubt it.  Botswana has its problems but one is not an easy to corrupt government. 

Hope in South Africa

The resignation of President Thabo Mbeki a few weeks ago has yielded some early benefits.

South Africa's new health minister broke dramatically on Monday from a decade of discredited government policies on AIDS, declaring that the disease was unquestionably caused by HIV and must be treated with conventional medicine.

Health Minister Barbara Hogan's pronouncement marked the official end to 10 years of denying a link between HIV and AIDS by former President Thabo Mbeki and his health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Story here. The first step to solving a problem is to identify its source.  Finally, the South African government has done so.