I have decided to weekly put a good news from Africa story here (hope there is one every week!!!)


This weekend Lesotho had elections, it went peacefull, which is the first one in this very very small and veryvery poor mountain kingdom. And it is more amazing - it seems the opposition (a vey newly formed party), is going to win. This might not sound so great to you, but demcrati peacefull changes of government is still a bit rare in Africa, so this is quite a news!!!


AH

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“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

AH,

What are the most promising Subsaharran African countries today, in terms of economic growth?

South Africa? Botswana?

I was under the impression that Lesotho (and Swaziland) were the places the Brits never conquered, so were always independant, as opposed to breaking off.
Botswana is the richest country in sub-Saharan Africa, due to their stable diamond extraction (as opposed to, say, Sierra Leone, where people are always fighting over diamonds. The civil war stopped a few years ago though). But economic growth isn't always the same as being rich. I expect Liberia to have extremely high economic growth, as they have finished fighting, and elected an economist president, and are currently dirt poor. Growth may actually be higher when a country is poor: in the EU the country with the highest growth is Lithuania, which is also one of the poorest.

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... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Yea, you areright, Lesotho never broke away, they where never part of SA. Short hoistory lesson, hope it does not bore you. Modern SA consists of 4 British colonies, Cape, Natal, Transvaal and Free State. The last two where independent republics untill the end of the Great Anglo-Boer war in 1901.

In 1910 the Act of Union was passed, cominging the 4 colonies as a Union, and making SA a Dominion, no longer a colony (own parament, etc.). The plan was a much bigger union, with North and South-Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe), LEsotho (then called Bashotoland), Botswana, (then called Betshuanaland) and Swaziland also joining. These all decided against it (Natal alostalso did not join).



Lesotho and Swaziland also never (technically), was colonies, but Britsh protectorates, but it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference. Botswana was also never a colony.

Saying Botswana is the riches, is a bit of a tricky one. It is a large country, but with just over 1000 000 people. It has almost no industry apart from the diomond mines and tourism (the Okavango Delta is sooo beautifull). So it's curuncy is quite strong, but it remains a poor country. It is a stable country, with very low crime. IT has never had a change of government, but has elections every 5 years.

SA now maintains a 4% growth rate (6% is the target) as far as I know, it is the highest in Africa. But I agree, countries that was war torn, have high growth rate, because they now have peace, and becasue of all the forgeign aid. Mozambique is a good example.

Purely because it is by far the most developed and richest country with the best infrastructure etc. SA will be the powerhouse in Sub0Sahara Africa for a very long time, I think. Kenya is another pretty powerfull one. Most other countries are still too relient on primary economics (natural recources) to truly be strong or maintain growth.

I'll stop now, since this is becomming a loong answer for a short question

__________________
“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

Kenya depends on whether they can sort out all the corruption. In the 60s under Kenyatta they were one of the richest countries, but Moi really screwed things up, and Kibake (who's first name is also Moi, which I find really confusing) is not much less corrupt.

I meant Botswana is the richest in terms of GDP per person. But you can argue over whether it's fairly distributed (which I don't think it is, De Beers managers and government officials get most of it). I would still rather be a resident of Botswana than South Africa though, because of the low crime levels.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Crime in Sa is limited to the cities. Where I live it is very safe, but we have all we need. When I lived in Namibia, I had to drive through Botswana often, and never wanted to live there. It is a very under developed country. It is true what you say - there is a bad spread of the income. And as usual the Bushmen suffer the most. Botswana sometimes gove the impresion of not being a country, but a De Beers Affiliate. Also a low standard of living. There is only one city, and very few towns. So even if you had enough money, what would you spend it on? Most richer Botswana's travel across the border to shop in SA. Strange fact, the capitol Gabarone is very new. Untill I think the 60's the government of BOtswana was in Mafekeng, a city in South Africa,, weird!

I am not dissing the country, it is a nice country, but with what I sw, and the harsh climate there, I would not live there

Oh yes, Botswana also still has the death penalty, which they use very often.

But I speak Tswana (it is also one of the langues in the province where I now live, which borders Botswana).

__________________
“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

I suppose as always it has less to do with what country you're in than whether you're rich or poor.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Ah, got it wrong, again. The ruling party won. But still good news, any election in africa withour vioence is good news. Seems opposition will accept the outcome

yipeee

__________________
“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

The best recent election was the Congo one. I was virtually certain that the loser would fight the winner with his army, but he did accept the result.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

How is the situation in Congo currently? The EU troops are gone again, are they?
Somewhere I read that the opposition leader might wait some time until he openly fights the government again, because then less international troops will be there or so...
Anyway I dont know much about it.


WRT Lesotho, I read about the elections. If its right what I read its also an extremely poor country, isn't it? Even the more its a great step forward if they succeeded in peaceful democratic and most importantly fair elections.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"