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 GhanaUniversity of Science & TechnologyUniversity of CapecoastCentral University CollegeGhana Institute of JournalismThe George Padmore LibraryGhana Journalists' AssociationValley View UniversityMalawi
National Library ServiceChancellor CollegeUniversity of Muzuzu LibraryUniversity of MalawiMalawi Institute of ManagementMalawi National Assembly LibraryCollege of MedicineBunda CollegeKamuzuz College of NursingMalawi Institute of EducationDomasi College of EducationTunisia
Institute Supérieur des Langues de GabesFaculté des Lettres/SciencesFaculté des Lettres La ManoubaInstitute des Hautes CommercialesFaculté des Lettres et des SciencesInstitute Supérieur des Sciences HumainesInstitute Supérieur des LanguesEcole Polytechnique de TunisieNamibia
Office of the OmbudsmanMr Clement DanielsNational Security of Human RightsUniversity of NamibiaMorocco
Ecole Mohammadia d'IngénieursInstitut National de la RechercheAmideastMinist're de l'Equipment IrcBritish CouncilZimbabwe
School of Social WorkSeke Teacher CollegeStandards Association of ZimbabweZctuMunicipal Library ServicesBritish CouncilHarare City CouncilZimbabwe Open UniversityHarare Institute of TechnologyHarare PolytechnicMidlands State UniversityUniversity of ZimbabweNustHarare City LibraryBulawayo Public LibraryTanzania
Tanzania Gender Networking ProgrammeEconomic & Social Research FoundationResearch for Poverty AlleviationUniversity of Dar es SalaamCollege of Business EducationCameroon
CrtvUniversity of DoualaEns YaoundeBritish CouncilPrime Minister's OfficeEnamIRICUniversity of BueaEssticUniversity of YaoundeMinistry of External AffairsNational Assembly of CameroonUganda
Makerere University Business SchoolCapital Markets AuthorityUganda Parliament LibraryUganda Management InstituteMakerere University LibraryCeewaNigeria
Nigerian Institute of International AffairsNational AssemblyObafemi Awolowo UniversityCentre of Management DevelopmentUniversity of LagosBotswana
British CouncilUniversity of BotswanaParliament LibraryBotswana National Library ServicesBotswana Television LibraryMedia Institute of South AfricaBotswana Institute of Administration and CommerceState House LibraryBotswana College of AgricultureUniversity of BotswanaBotswana National Front HQBotswana Democratic partyBotswana Congress partyBotswana National Youth CouncilOffice of OmbudsmanAdministration of JusticeLaw Society of BotswanaEthiopia
Culture & Information BureauUniversity of BahirCivil Service CollegeDebub UniversityJimma UniversityKotobe College of Teacher EducationMekelle UniversityNational Archives & LibrarySouth Africa
Media Institute of South AfricaInstitute for Advancement of JournalismNelson Mandela FoundationSouth Africa Human Rights CommissionConstitutional Court of South AfricaIdasa University of South Africa LibraryLibrary of ParliamentNational Library of South AfricaUniversity of Cape Town LibrariesUniversity of Western Cape LibrariesBloemfontein Public LibrariesPretoria Regional LibraryDemocracy Development ProgrammeSouth African History ArchiveCo-op for Research & EducationCentre for Policy StudiesNational Community Research ForumPublic Protector South AfricaThe Presidency, Rep of South AfricaJohannesburg World Summit 2002Municipal Services ProjectLeadership Region Network SAHuman Science Research CouncilDevelopment Bank of SAFreedom of Expression InstituteGauteng LegislatureMs Mmapula KekanaAfrica PulseTechnikon South Africa