Africa's problem over the last several decades has been loss of intellectual and managerial power in the transition from white colonial rule to self-rule. The continent had a fair bit of light industry and a decent agricultural industry but those have largely failed due to the previous white owners either fleeing or being thrown out*.
* Which is why Zimbabwe is a joke and South Africa is teetering on the precipice.
As a born and bred ZImbabwean and now resident and citizen of South Africa, I think I am qualified to comment on these statements.
In Zimbabwe, the failure and collapse of that country was caused by abuse of power and corruption. No amount of transfer of
intellectual and managerial power
would have prevented that from happening against the background of a despotic government desparately clinging to power and using whatever means (election fraud, destruction of the independence of the judiciary, abolishment of free press, etc.) to achieve that.
In spite of what right-wing newsmongers might want you to believe, South Africa is not even vaguely near to
teetering on the precipice.
Yes, we have challenges with respect to crime, unemployment, corruption, education and I am under no illusion as to the scale of these challenges. We still have a very free press, the judiciary is still widely respected (recent court decisions having been made against the wishes of the ruling party) and the economy has been relatively stable through the global recession.
We will be hosting the world's largest sporting spectacle this year, the FIFA World Cup, in less than three months time. Expect to be pleasantly surprised at what Africa will showcase to the world.
