Interconnect

SPECTATORS FOR AFRICA | 21 June 2003

Text settings
Comments

In any discussion about the justifications for the war in Iraq, there comes the Zimbabwe point. Yeah, says the sceptic, but what about Zimbabwe, eh? If we go to war to liberate the Iraqis from the tyranny of Saddam, why won't we lift a finger to free the victims of Robert Mugabe? Is it a kind of racism?

To which the answer is, of course not. It is just that no vital Western geostrategic interests appear engaged by the disaster of Zimbabwe. If we ran our cars on bananas, matters might be different. But since Zimbabwe is neither an oil-producer nor an avowed sponsor of Middle Eastern terror, the dictator is left on his throne. His people may be murdered, their farms stolen, their children facing starvation, but the Western powers content themselves with the wittering banalities of summit communiqués. The same apathy is detectable in our entire policy towards Africa.

Europeans and Americans alike spend many billions of pounds of taxpayers' money every year to dump our farm produce in Africa, so demolishing local production. When you consider that 70 per cent of African employment is in farming, compared with less than 2 per cent in this country, one can see the evil of this policy. What can we do to make amends? We can lobby for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. We can call for investment in Africa, and action against Mugabe and other tyrants.

And then we can send Africa copies of The Spectator, in the hope that it will spark new ideas, encourage a belief in freedom and free markets, and supply something different from the politically correct pap distributed by the UN and the NGOs.

The recipient schools, colleges and other institutions appear below. Many thanks to all readers who gave so generously to this cause, and welcome to new readers in Africa.

Ghana

University of Ghana
University of Science & Technology
University of Capecoast
Central University College
Ghana Institute of Journalism
The George Padmore Library
Ghana Journalists' Association
Valley View University

Malawi

National Library Service
Chancellor College
University of Muzuzu Library
University of Malawi
Malawi Institute of Management
Malawi National Assembly Library
College of Medicine
Bunda College
Kamuzuz College of Nursing
Malawi Institute of Education
Domasi College of Education

Tunisia

Institute Supérieur des Langues de Gabes
Faculté des Lettres/Sciences
Faculté des Lettres La Manouba
Institute des Hautes Commerciales
Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences
Institute Supérieur des Sciences Humaines
Institute Supérieur des Langues
Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie

Namibia

Office of the Ombudsman
Mr Clement Daniels
National Security of Human Rights
University of Namibia

Morocco

Ecole Mohammadia d'Ingénieurs
Institut National de la Recherche
Amideast
Minist're de l'Equipment
Irc
British Council

Zimbabwe

School of Social Work
Seke Teacher College
Standards Association of Zimbabwe
Zctu
Municipal Library Services
British Council
Harare City Council
Zimbabwe Open University
Harare Institute of Technology
Harare Polytechnic
Midlands State University
University of Zimbabwe
Nust
Harare City Library
Bulawayo Public Library

Tanzania

Tanzania Gender Networking Programme
Economic & Social Research Foundation
Research for Poverty Alleviation
University of Dar es Salaam
College of Business Education

Cameroon

Crtv
University of Douala
Ens Yaounde
British Council
Prime Minister's Office
Enam
IRIC
University of Buea
Esstic
University of Yaounde
Ministry of External Affairs
National Assembly of Cameroon

Uganda

Makerere University Business School
Capital Markets Authority
Uganda Parliament Library
Uganda Management Institute
Makerere University Library
Ceewa

Nigeria

Nigerian Institute of International Affairs
National Assembly
Obafemi Awolowo University
Centre of Management Development
University of Lagos

Botswana

British Council
University of Botswana
Parliament Library
Botswana National Library Services
Botswana Television Library
Media Institute of South Africa
Botswana Institute of Administration and Commerce
State House Library
Botswana College of Agriculture
University of Botswana
Botswana National Front HQ
Botswana Democratic party
Botswana Congress party
Botswana National Youth Council
Office of Ombudsman
Administration of Justice
Law Society of Botswana

Ethiopia

Culture & Information Bureau
University of Bahir
Civil Service College
Debub University
Jimma University
Kotobe College of Teacher Education
Mekelle University
National Archives & Library

South Africa

Media Institute of South Africa
Institute for Advancement of Journalism
Nelson Mandela Foundation
South Africa Human Rights Commission
Constitutional Court of South Africa
Idasa
University of South Africa Library
Library of Parliament
National Library of South Africa
University of Cape Town Libraries
University of Western Cape Libraries
Bloemfontein Public Libraries
Pretoria Regional Library
Democracy Development Programme
South African History Archive
Co-op for Research & Education
Centre for Policy Studies
National Community Research Forum
Public Protector South Africa
The Presidency, Rep of South Africa
Johannesburg World Summit 2002
Municipal Services Project
Leadership Region Network SA
Human Science Research Council
Development Bank of SA
Freedom of Expression Institute
Gauteng Legislature
Ms Mmapula Kekana
Africa Pulse
Technikon South Africa