Africa’s “new leaders†stand in the way of progress
on December 5th, 2005 at 12:53 amCommentary by Koert Lindijer
The changing of the old guard at the beginning of the 1990s in a number of African countries led to new optimism. Tyrannical dictators were overthrown and the “new leaders” embraced modern policies and values. Fourteen years later, the guerrilla fighters-turned-presidents have fallen foul of those that applauded their arrival as they exercise the same kind of corruption and nepotism they once criticised. The only hope is that they’ll be replaced by a new generation of African leaders.
A short walk through the Ethiopian capital will suffice to show the connection between power and money, and the huge interests that are at stake. An Ethiopian friend led me around Addis Ababa recently. “Look, that tall new building belongs to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s wife”, he said and pointing his finger at another building:
“that one over there belongs to high party officials close to the government. And that very expensive hotel and that factory, they belong to a Saudi-Arabian business partner of the government. And do you see those lorries, they belong to the Effort fleet, a semi-state company belonging to the party.”
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