The Riches and Poverty of Africa

THE RICHES AND POVERTY OF AFRICA
PART THREE

“Absence of an Enabling Environment. While one may change the above mentioned things, there remains a very important issue, the absence of an enabling environment. Corruption (a problem of dishonesty) and mismanagement (a problem of cultural values) work together to destroy an enabling environment for development. It has been said that 60% of Africa’s problems are due to corruption and 40% is due to poor management. A serious restraint on development in Africa is corruption and mismanagement of the many co-operatives and government agencies which serve the people. Those who grow coffee, tea and sugar cane, find that their pay is either squandered through dishonesty or poor management of the co-operatives. Their income is often delayed by many months. This can only lead to discouragement, disinterest, strikes and loss of initiative. Roads, telephones, electricity, all necessary parts of the infrastructure for business, are seriously wanting. This is due, not simply to poverty, but to corruption. Money designated for roads is not faithfully used for that. Bribes are regularly demanded for routine services. Many international projects designed to alleviate poverty by providing educational seminars; facilities and equipment are thwarted by corruption. International and national aid for famine relief is siphoned off by the politicians for personal gain. Africa has many capable managers and administrators. But unfortunately, it is not what you know but who you know that leads to employment and promotion. Relationships are often more important for employment than knowledge and skills. Hence people are placed in management positions because they have the right ethnic connections and not because of their knowledge and skills.

“Frequent wars, violence and social upheavals. Over the past twenty years [written in 2002], many wars and conflicts in Africa have set back development. Right now or within the past few years, war has been waged in the Sudan (for 20 years), the Congo (intermittently for 40 years), Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Uganda, Angola (since independence) and elsewhere. People flee from their homeland and become refugees in another country. They leave behind fertile land that lies uncultivated. The education of the youth is interrupted. The youth are enlisted in the violent conflict. Inability to resolve conflicts and generate peace has caused some wars to continue for well over ten or twenty or thirty years. These conflicts may be over ethnic or religious or personal issues. But it is the masses who suffer and social and economic development suffers enormously.”

“One may wonder what all this has to do with a Christian missionary seeking to evangelize and disciple Africa for Christ? The unspoken part of our lives as missionaries are the persistent problems which arise from poverty that surrounds us. Requests for money are unending. These are not selfish desires but life and death issues such as food for the table, fees for education, medicine for the sick, work for the jobless - it goes on and on. During our recent safari the pain of poverty was driven home to us as never before.”

PLEASE let me know if you can think of other reasons that contribute to the poverty in Africa – and if you disagree with some of my thoughts in Parts Two and Three.

CONTINUED IN PART FOUR