• DOHA WAS NEVER ABOUT DEVELOPMENT • TWN-Africa

ISSUE Vol 10 No.2 2007 US$5.00 GB£3.00 5.00

• DOHA WAS NEVER ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 • TWN-Africa & OXFAM PUT EU’S POLITICAL WILL TO TEST Find out what's on the African Agenda

To subscribe, please fill in the form and post it to the address shown

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES

(INDIVIDUALS)

Africa & Global South $35

North America & Australia $55

Europe €55 The African continent is mostly reported as a land of poverty, civil strife and end- U.K £35 less lines of begging hands. Problems facing the continent are portrayed and communicated mostly by foreign eyes through the monopoly-controlled news Ghana ¢90,000 media.

Rarely are Africans themselves given a forum to highlight what they see as press- INSTITUTIONAL/ CORPORATE ing problems, and offer analyses and solutions to tackle the challenges. By publishing African Agenda, Third World Network Africa aims to provide exactly that Africa & Global South $45 forum. Open your eyes and ears to an African perspective on critical issues such as trade, the environment, gender and sustainable development. North America & Australia $70

I wish to subscribe to AFRICAN AGENDA and I enclose Europe €70 A cheque/bank draft payable to Third World Network

U.K £45 AMOUNT ………………………...... ………...... ………......

NAME: ...... ………...... ………... Ghana ¢100,000 ADDRESS: ...... ………......

CITY: ...... ………...... POSTCODE: ......

COUNTRY: ...... STUDENTS Send to Third World Network, P.O. Box 19452, Accra-North, Ghana

METHOD OF PAYMENT Ghana ¢84,000 Cheque/Bank draft payable to Third World Network Direct Bank Transfer: Account Name - Third World Network Bank Address:- Standard Chartered Bank, Foreign Services Africa & Global South $30 Branch High Street, P.O. Box 768, Accra-Ghana Account No. 2800202240700

North America/Australia $50 CREDIT CARD

Please charge the amount of ...... to my credit card U.K £30 AMERICAN EXPRESS MASTER CARD VISA Account No. Europe €50

Signature:...... Expiry Date:......

West Africa Telephone +233 -21- 511189 fax 233-21-511188 Email: [email protected] /[email protected] Contents

Cover Ghana, a contested model ...... 5 Continental unity and social justice are the legacy of Nkrumah .………....9 Nkrumah’s ambition was the full realisation of the dignity of the African, says daughter…...... …………….………..…...... ……...11 US $20 million indece celebrations budget sparks controversy ...... 14 Women side-stepped in anniversary celebrations ...... 17

Development Doha was never about development …………...... ……20 Poor need more than a declaration ………………………...... ….21 Beef up budget allocation to achieve MDGs ……...... …...... 23

Trade EPAs must be subjected to electoral test …………………...... ……25

Oxfam & TWN-Africa put EU’s political will to test ....…...... ……26 page 12 Photo: Nkrumah and Haile Sellasie - pioneers of Serious threat to producers …………...... ………...... ……28 African Unity

Women Proposed UN women’s agency gains key ally .....………...... ……...29 Women stuck at the small-scale level .....………...... …...... …...31 African Agenda International Published by TWN Africa Security Council accused of overstepping bound ..…...... …………33 Editor-in-Chief: Yao Graham Editor: Cornelius Adedze Rights Assistant Editor: Kwesi W. Obeng Circulation: Joyce Ofori-Kwafo Privatisation violates right to health, say activists .....……...... …….35 Design: David Roy Quashie Printing: Royal Crown Press Ltd, Accra - Ghana Tel: +233 51 506404, 504041, 0244 360686, 0277 404447 Society E-mail: [email protected] Remember Benjamin Zephaniah ...... …………...... …….37 EDITORIAL, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ADVERTISING:

TWN-Africa P.O. Box 19452 Accra-North Ghana, West Africa Note to subscribers Tel: (233) 21 511189/503669/500419 Fax: (233) 21 511188 As part of efforts to improve our data management all Email: [email protected] subscribers have been allocated identification numbers. Website: www.twnafrica.org You will always find them on your address labels. Please quote these numbers in all correspondence regarding TWN INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT your subscription. President: Mohammed Iddris Director: Martin Khor The material in this magazine may be freely reproduced and 121-S Jalan Utama distributed without prior permission, provided that the source of 10450 Penang the material is attributed to African Agenda ISSN 0855-3378. Malaysia

African Agenda is published six times a year by Third World Network (TWN) Africa. TWN is an international network of groups and individuals who seek greater articulation of the needs and rights of the peoples of the Third World, especially marginalised social groups, a fair distribution of the world’s resources and forms of development which are ecologically sustainable and fulfil human needs. TWN Africa is grateful to NOVIB (Netherlands), Development and Peace, InterPares (Canada), Oxfam (UK), HIVOS (Netherlands), Kairos (Canada) and G-RAP (Ghana) for their support. Editorial Ghana in African history he turn out for the 50th anniversary the rule of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ghana’s democracy offers many strong of Ghana’s independence was a truly the prime identity of whose lineage is the points for the rest of Africa. Kufuor’s choice pan-African affair. There were offi- negative of being the ‘other’ to the CPP. of a guest of honour for the anniversary, Tcial delegations from about 30 African This political tradition has clung onto a par- Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo, countries. The proximity of the 6th March tially fictionalised version of anti-colonial who had tried to extend his rule and was date to the 200th anniversary of the British history that has failed to see that Ghana’s embroiled in a very public spat with his abolition of their transatlantic Slave Trade independence was substantially more than estranged Vice as to which of them was helped swell the numbers of Africans from the CPP defeating their domestic political more corrupt hardly counts as a celebration all over who came to Ghana around the opponents and was an achievement of pro- of African excellence. The invitation was time. Alongside those who came to cele- found global import which Africans all over widely seen as an act of gratitude for the brate Ghana’s place in history were many the world see as theirs. The blinkered per- support that made Kufuor’s 2000 electoral who proclaim today’s Ghana as a model for spective led to the bathos of the NPP seeing victory possible. The questions the invita- the rest of the African continent. These the 50th anniversary as a chance to settle tion raised about where Kufuor stood included the disgraced warmonger Paul scores by diminishing Nkrumah and the between cronyism and principle were Wolfowitz, at the time President of the CPP rather than as a moment in world and answered by his reaction to the fraudulent World Bank and British Deputy Prime African history to be truthfully celebrated. Nigerian elections that Obasanjo presided Minister John Prescott. The concerted effort to diminish over soon after Ghana celebrations. Kufuor There was no mistaking the mood of Nkrumah, as well as what was played up by was quick to offer his support to the succes- national celebration among ordinary the official programme underlined some of sor Obasanjo has imposed on the Nigerian Ghanaians during the period around March the flaws in the African model that Ghana is people. 6th, comparable only to the excitement gen- today, as did some of the issues that pro- While the Ghana government saw the erated by the Black Stars qualifying for the voked public outrage. What Bush, 50th anniversary as a chance to rewrite his- second round of the last FIFA World Cup. Wolfowitz, Blair and the Queen toast about tory the rest of the continent, in a negation Ghanaians had a lot to celebrate. The coun- today’s Ghana contrast sharply with why of the NPP’s negation of history, has situat- try has enjoyed a generation of political sta- Africans idolise Nkrumah. The Ghana that ed the regime in the frame of historical con- bility and economic growth after the 15 Bush and Blair hold forth for Africa is a tinuity and treated Kufuor as Nkrumah’s years of decline that followed Nkrumah’s symbol of the continent’s aid dependence heir, thereby puffing up his place in African overthrow in 1966. Despite the persistence and lapse back into the primary export and history. South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki explic- of authoritarian reflexes in state culture the imported consumer goods economy. This itly referred to Ghana’s 50th anniversary political system is fairly open; fifteen years contrasts with the early post colonial years and Nkrumah’s pan-African hero status as a after the start of the 4th Republic the coun- when Nkrumah and co were concerned with reason for supporting President Kufuor as a try has seen an alternation of power among economic transformation and independ- compromise chairperson of the African parties and the media is not repressed. ence. The current extent of Ghana’s import Union (AU) when Sudan was rejected The anniversary however was not only dependence has produced a nationalist because of the government’s violence about the present but also about that historic backlash that cuts across very broad sectors. against its own people in Darfur. In July moment 50 years ago. The majority of the That the government chose to order the offi- Ghana will host the AU at which the main non-Ghanaian African visitors came to con- cial anniversary textile from China illustrat- item on the agenda is a grand debate about nect with the golden jubilee of an event that ed the current state of things and provoked whether or not and how to speed up the had so influenced their own struggles and considerable outrage. achievement of Nkrumah’s burning drive, the memory of a man, Kwame Nkrumah, The outrage was not simply about pro- African union. who has had such a profound impact on duction and income lost to the Ghanaian President Kufuor’s hosting of the event black history. Sadly, just like a substantial economy but was also from a feeling that is laden with many ironies. He has consis- section of the Ghanaian population, they corruption may have been a factor in the tently declared Nkrumah’s pan-African found the official celebrations to be acutely decision to import. Just like in most African vision to be impractical. Furthermore his lacking in a sense of history. The protests of countries the government in Ghana is per- first taste of government (1969-72) was as Ghanaian women’s groups about the macho ceived by a substantial section of the public deputy foreign minister in a regime that, bias of what little historical thread that was as corrupt. The same suspicion of corrupt with parochial Cold War zeal, opposed the in the official programme was just one of benefit coloured public criticism of how wishes of the South African people and the many such expressions. Some of the visitors current of African liberation, by seeking $20m voted by the government for the cele- from the Caribbean and the USA voiced friendship with apartheid South Africa. brations was spent. Quite a number of peo- their disappointment. When Kufuor opens the July Summit many The anaemic sense of history in the ple felt this was wasted money for a country gathered will see him under Nkrumah’s halo official programme was more design than that has been in the throes of an energy cri- and he will hear speaker after speaker pay accident. This was highlighted by President sis since August 2006, and in which there is tribute to Nkrumah’s vision and work for Kufuor’s scandalous failure, during his an extensive lack of social infrastructure African liberation and unity. At the pinnacle anniversary speech, to acknowledge the such as potable water, roads and schools. of his standing as an African leader Kufuor, Convention People’s Party (CPP), Many citizens were particularly angered by despite his desires to the contrary, will be Nkrumah’s party, as the organisation that the proportion of the money used to buy standing in Nkrumah’s shoes and shadow led Ghana to independence. It is one of luxury cars (Mercedes, Chrysler, Jaguar and and affirming his pre-eminent place in those ironies of history that the 50th BMWs) to ferry VIPs for the celebrations Ghanaian and African history and thereby anniversary celebrations took place under (See page 14). symbolising that ‘Nkrumah never dies’.

4 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover

period of decline accompanied by political instability (including several coups d’etat). The ups and downs of commodity prices as well as the misman- Ghana – agement and corruption of the elite combined with the structural limitations of the economy to wreak havoc. Since the mid 1980s a far reaching programme A contested of free market reforms, heavily funded by the IMF and World Bank and bilateral creditors, has delivered steady economic growth. From being a model of model attempts at post colonial transformation during the Nkrumah The 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence has focused atten- years Ghana today is a model of neo-liberal economic policies. tion on the country’s status and role in Africa and the world, writes *Yao Graham.

eaders of states and society from across Africa and the pan-African dias- Lpora turned up in large numbers in Ghana in March to mark the country’s fiftieth independence anniversary. The end of colonial rule in the then Gold Coast was a defining moment with eventual significance well beyond it being the first in sub-Saharan Africa. Kwame Nkrumah, leader of the triumphant Convention People’s Party (CPP), was formed by the anti- colonial, anti-racist and pan- African movement during his years in the USA and Britain. He therefore understood the link between the wider African anti- colonial struggle and Ghana’s fortunes and underlined the connection in his speech declaring independence. AFP From 1957 till his over- March 6, 1957, Nkrumah declares independence throw in 1966, in a CIA backed coup, Nkrumah attracted the ire an underdeveloped economy, whose expectations have African excellence of the West as he placed Ghana dominated by a small basket of been greatly fuelled by in the eye of the anti-imperialist primary mineral or agricultural independence? The theme for the official celebration of Ghana’s golden storm and proceeded to whip up commodities with unstable These questions are as the tide of anti-colonial and independence anniversary is prices? How do you transform pressing today as they were fifty “Championing African pan-African struggle across and raise output in a low pro- years ago. In the intervening Excellence”. If the bland fluffi- Africa and of Third World non- ductivity small holder based period Ghana’s economy and ness of the theme was intended alignment beyond. At home agricultural sector? How do you politics have run the gamut of to avoid controversy it has, not Nkrumah inherited an economy industrialise a country with a the African experience. From surprisingly, failed. What and dominated by smallholder small home market whose for- the Nkrumah years of state led who in Ghanaian history exem- cocoa production and extractive eign trade patterns were heavily economic development, with plify “African excellence”? On export enclaves of minerals and locked into those of a few accelerated achievements in the Ghana’s airwaves and in news- timber. This confronted him Western economies? How do social sectors, import substitut- papers the issue has intensified with what became common you generate resources for a ing industrialisation and heavy long running debates and dis- challenges for all post-colonial steady improvement in the infrastructural investments, the putes and re-opened dormant Africa. How do you re-structure living standards of a people economy went through a long ones.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 5 Cover

Evaluation of the first stability (while effectively Nkrumah stole their thunder by Minister of Local Government decade of independence and the abandoning an objective of leading the formation of a in 1982. A populist autocrat, he contribution of the country’s structural transformation). breakaway mass party, the harnessed the hopes and trust of founding leader Kwame Having started off an autocrat Convention People’s Party the masses to the execution of a Nkrumah have been the primary Rawlings exited as a twice (CPP) which trounced his erst- project of elite advancement. focus with a secondary dispute elected President who handed while benefactors and thrust His popular appeal and aspects about the more recent 18-year over power to a bitterly hostile him into power as Ghana’s of early years – recognition of rule of Flt Lt. Jerry Rawlings opposition. founding leader. the need for structural transfor- which ended in 2000. Official Nkrumah and Rawlings are mation, social equity and anti- narratives rarely escape the however the two Ghanaian lead- Misrepresentation imperialist foreign policy - stamp of those in power and few ers that Kufuor and his support- So deep is the antipathy to harkened back to the days of in the ruling New Patriotic Party ers find most difficult to digest the CPP that even with the (NPP) have any doubt that the seeing both of them as antitheti- Nkrumah and engendered desta- six years of President John cal to the NPP’s political tradi- world’s eyes on him at the 50th bilisation plots in Washington Kufuor represent the yardstick tion and beliefs. Many NPP anniversary parade President and allied capitals. The elite against which all else have to be types see Nkrumah and Kufuor engaged in a shameful were alarmed by his message measured. Rawlings as upstarts who in bit of mis-representation. Not and terrified by the assault on When Kufuor’s term ends their time disturbed the natural only did he pointedly fail to corruption, while his repressive in 2008 he would have been the order of power and rule by the mention and acknowledge the methods cowed rich and poor third longest serving Ghanaian social forces represented by the CPP as spearheading the attain- alike. leader, after Rawlings and NPP and its political lineage. ment of independence but gave However by the time he left Nkrumah. Among his eight Kufuor’s party sees itself as the credit to the UGCC! Current office in 2000 the liberalised predecessors the eras of the two the successor to the elite revisionism insists that economy was a pin up model stand out as the moments of sus- alliance of traditional chiefs, Nkrumah’s ‘socialist policies’ for the Bretton Woods institu- tained economic policy making, merchants and lawyers who retarded economic growth and tions and the Ghanaian elite infrastructural development and dominated colonial politics and also blame him for the political were enjoying their best eco- institution building. Nkrumah believed in a ‘property owning violence unleashed by the suc- nomic period since independ- was, in the words of Amilcar democracy’, including a consti- cessors of the UGCC and deny ence within an economic strate- Cabral, ‘the strategist of genius tutional role for traditional how the violence contributed to gy which offered a leading role in the struggle against classic rulers. It was they who brought the development of the authori- to foreign capital, public and colonialism’. Rawlings’ is the Nkrumah back to the Gold tarian political culture of the private. Rawlings’ two con- architect of the present phase of Coast in 1947 to organise the Nkrumah years. vincing electoral victories in Ghanaian history within which anti-colonial movement around Rawlings is the Janus fig- Kufuor’s presidency falls. His the United Gold Coast 1992 and 1996, the latter over long rule (1982-2000) restored Convention (UGCC) so they ure of Ghanaian politics, the his eventual successor Kufuor, economic growth and political could succeed the colonialists. bridge from Nkrumah to Kufuor testified to his national appeal. who briefly served as his Sadly for Rawlings important sections of the Ghanaian elite refuse to acknowledge his objective role as their best leader since independence. His policies - presiding over the implementation of the harsh economic reforms as well as the restoration of the legitimacy of the State and its institutions - have made their present prosperity possible. Those who had financed Ghana’s economic recovery adopted a more prag- matic approach. Both Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth came visiting, to express their gratitude to Rawlings for bringing Ghana back into the orbit of the West. Right till the end of Rawlings’ rule there were elements in his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and wider mass base who never fully accepted the free market policies. This, combined with his unpredictable personality, meant Rawlings remained someone the West appreciated AFP Rawlings and former US president Clinton in Accra in March 1998 but did not fully trust.

6 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover

Fantastic job Kufuor and his supporters revel in his status as one of the African rulers regularly held up by the Bush-Blair axis and the G-7 generally as a model of what is good for Africa. They cite his easy access and sum- moning to the White House and Downing Street as signalling his superior standing compared to Rawlings. For Kufuor, whose presidential style is that of a traditional Ghanaian chief, and many of his supporters the high point of the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations and his presidency was his reception at Buckingham Palace by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. US President George Bush, who has met Kufuor several times, has commended him as “a man of vision and strength

and character” who “has done a AFP fantastic job for Ghana”. Kufuor visited the British Queen on 50th anniversary Kufuor’s ‘fantastic job’ has a number of elements. At a sys- temic level his succession to president. The government’s Informed Ghanaians growing inequalities. The crisis Rawlings meant an alternation argument was that it was vital to express concern about the scope highlighted the enduring fragili- of power between competing protect military cooperation and of Ghana-US security coopera- ty of the economy, the deep fractions of the elite which $4m of associated aid. tion making the country a target flaws in economy policy, the strengthened the legitimacy of There have been regular for terrorist attacks. Residents heavy dependence on aid and the constitutional arrangements joint exercises onshore Ghana of Accra’s upmarket East the debt crisis it had created. of the Fourth Republic. In and on the high seas. In October Cantonments area have Between 1983-1994 the World respect of policy, Kufuor has 2005 for example, more than expressed anxiety about a huge Bank alone committed $2.4 bn. continued and deepened the free 1,000 Ghanaian and NATO new US embassy-intelligence By 2000 Ghana external debt troops held a joint training exer- market policies initiated by facility being constructed in the had reached more than $6 bn. cise in Ghana. The government Rawlings while serving as a neighbourhood. Security rela- from over $1bn in 1983. has denied that the US is build- more predictable political rally- tions with the US is however The primary trigger of the ing a base in the country but unlikely to affect the govern- crisis was dramatic falls in the ing point for the local elite as Ghana does serve as a staging well as a much more compliant ment’s political fortunes. prices of gold, cocoa and tim- point offering some facilities for ber, the main export earners and enthusiastic partner for the use by the US military. Ghana West. Peaceful transition alongside a big jump in the hosts a US-European Command price of oil. The prices of cocoa What gives Bush most sat- funded ‘Exercise Reception The defeat of the ruling for example dropped by a third isfaction about Kufuor is the Facility’, meant to facilitate National Democratic Congress between 1998 and 2000 while least publicly acknowledged - troop deployments. (NDC) in the 2000 elections by the cost of petroleum imports the dramatic expansion of When in May 2004 a jour- Kufuor and the NPP and the almost doubled from 1999 to Ghana-US/NATO military and nalist asked General Joseph subsequent peaceful transition 2000. intelligence cooperation since Ralston, then Supreme Allied was an important positive Two decades of trade liber- 2001. These developments are Commander of Europe, why so development for Ghana’s young alisation had undermined pro- driven by the War on Terror and many senior US military offi- 4th Republic. The NDC’s defeat duction for the home market in US concern to secure oil sup- cers were visiting Ghana, he was the product of a number of both agriculture and manufac- plies from the Gulf of Guinea frankly replied: ‘we have a lot factors. Internally the party was turing and worsened the coun- which are expected to account of interest. And the basic inter- weakened by strife over the suc- try’s historic import depend- for 25% of US imports by 2015. est is: security, peace, economic cession to Rawlings. Growing ence. The foreign exchange The US State Department web- investment and economic devel- corruption within the regime as crunch associated with the site describes relations between opment for all of the countries well as the persistence of 1999-2000 crisis was aggravat- the two countries as ‘stronger of Africa. Ghana happened to be authoritarian practices had ed by donors withholding sub- than at any other time in recent a center of stability that we alienated growing numbers of stantial amounts of aid in a dis- memory’. In 2003 most wanted to make sure that we the population; the regime had pute with the government over Ghanaians were disgusted when could reinforce that, and if there hardly any sympathy in the pri- policy. Inflation rocket as the the NPP dominated Parliament were operations that needed to vate media. The decisive factor value of the cedi collapsed and approved a Bilateral Non be conducted in less-stable parts in the defeat however was the imports contracted. Many in the Surrender Agreement with the of Africa, at least we had an economic crisis of 1999-2000 NDC continue to believe that US in respect of the opportunity to go to Ghana and which inflamed long simmering aid was deliberately withheld so International Criminal Court on we could work with the mass dissatisfaction with the as to engineer an NPP election which a Ghanaian sits as vice- nations.’ economic deprivations and victory.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 7 Cover

The Kufuor regime’s government is too focused on housing market is in the grip of health workers as well as other acceptance of the Highly pleasing foreign capital and that a building frenzy and is littered public sector workers such as Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) a focus on exports and import with empty properties, workers teachers. On May Day the lead- Initiative in 2001 was an effec- trade liberalisation is undermin- and informal economy actors ers of Ghana’s unions warned of tive admission that the much ing the development and trans- are required to pay three years more industrial unrest. lauded free market reforms had formation of the country’s pro- rent in advance for unhygienic In the rural areas, where the bankrupted the country and ductive capacities. Even then hovels with the state showing majority of Ghanaians as well made it even more vulnerable to the inflow of foreign direct no interest in their fate. as the overwhelming majority donor conditionality. Kufuor’s investment to sectors other than Currently over 80% of the of the poor lives, economic readiness to deepen and widen mining has been disappointing. labour force is in the informal insecurity in the country has an neo-liberal policies has pro- In Accra’s industrial zones economy. In all the major cities important specific dimension: duced substantial debt relief increasing numbers of derelict the local authorities are at their growing landlessness and inse- under both HIPC and the factories are being converted to wits end about how to cope with curity of tenure. A 2001 study Multilateral Debt Relief warehouses for imports or the sprawl of the informal econ- concluded that: Initiative (MDRI). church halls for the increasing omy. This expresses itself in the “insecurity of tenure affects a numbers of evangelical armies of petty traders choking greater proportion of society Aid recovery Christian churches. streets, artisans setting up shop than is generally recognized Aid inflows have recovered at unauthorised sites and squat- and probably the majority. This since 2001 and remain substan- Unemployment ter settlements. By and large extends beyond the economic tial and the prices of Ghana’s Overall the economy, dom- what is an economic problem is poor and those who hold deriv- exports have been relatively inated by revived export treated as a problem of law and ative rights – that is, those who good. The economy has grown enclaves of cocoa and minerals order. access land held to belong to steadily, from 3.2% in 2001 to and new so-called non-tradi- others: tenants and sharecrop- around 6% in 2006. This togeth- tional goods is not creating Economic insecurity pers, youth and women… er with the funds freed up by enough jobs and offering few A 2003 study showed that Those with least status, knowl- debt relief have enabled the which are well paid. This has the numbers of the poorest 20% edge or means are least well government to increase funding generated substantial internal of the population had increased served”. Loss of rights is widely to primary education and infra- and cross border migration. The by a third percentage over six occurring. Given the centrality structural expansion. The most noted exodus, which has years. The poorest 20 percent of secure access to the social Kufuor government has attracted some policy response. enjoyed only 8.4 percent of the and economic fabric of society, widened access to primary edu- is of trained professionals, espe- national income, whilst the rich- instability threatens and in some cation through a capitation grant cially medical personnel. It is est 20 percent enjoyed as much parts of the country has already but critics point to the failure to however arguable that for most as 41.7 percent. In 2002 a sur- spilled into violence.” provide for adequate numbers families the economically most vey by the Ghana Centre for To date state policy has failed to of teachers and enabling inputs. significant trekking out is that Democratic Development respond adequately to the inse- At the same time secondary of the tens of thousands of not (CDD), a policy think tank, curity engendered by land rela- school enrolment is dropping so highly skilled but educated found “a frightening picture of tions. among the poorer sections of young Ghanaians who con- mass formal unemployment and The persistence of the prob- the population while the quality tribute the bulk of the remit- underemployment” and a per- lems faced by ordinary people of tertiary education is dropping tances which are keeping many ceived widening of the gap and a perception of growing as a result of phenomenal families above the poverty line. between rich and poor”. Almost official corruption has eroded expansion of public and private Speaking to Parliament on two thirds of those interviewed confidence in the NPP govern- universities without requisite February 8 President Kufuor for the report described their ment. In 2002 only 38% of investment in staff or facilities. pointed to the growing remit- economic conditions as bad. those interviewed by the CDD The regime has replaced the tances as a sign of confidence in The need to create jobs and the believed the President and his cash and carry system in health the economy. reduction of poverty and mar- team to be corrupt. By 2005 this that it inherited, which required In the main urban areas few ginalisation ranked as the high- had risen to almost 60%. Kufuor up front payment for health of the tens of thousands whose est priorities of respondents in has himself been directly shak- services, with a national health jobs were destroyed by the eco- the survey. Three years later the en by allegations of corruption, insurance scheme. nomic reforms and public sector CDD found even more econom- symbolised by a hotel right next According to 2006 figures restructuring have found new ic insecurity and anxiety about to his private residence. The from the Ghana Statistical jobs. The ranks of these long- unemployment. Minister for Transport had to Service numbers of the poor term unemployed have been In recent times there has resign in the wake of a scandal. have dropped significantly since swollen by those fleeing the been a rash of strikes over At 50 the openness of 1998/99 but inequality has been rural areas to escape the misery incomes and living conditions Ghana’s political system is growing significantly. The of food crop farming ruined by which have ended without the something majority of unequal distribution of the ben- imports or landlessness or from workers receiving satisfaction. Ghanaians are keen to uphold efits of growth, the underlying small towns dying from lack of Piece meal responses to the exo- and advance but with respect to weaknesses of the economy and economic opportunities. There dus of skills from the country the economy the fundamental the fault lines along which trou- is substantial internal migration have produced irrationalities issue remains the country’s fail- ble could break out in the future from the parts of the country- and extreme inequalities in pub- ure to carve a path to self sus- remain tangible. side outside the export enclaves lic sector pay policy which the taining growth and socio-eco- Six years into Kufuor’s to Accra whose population has Ghana Trades Union Congress nomic transformation. announcement of a ‘Golden Age not only swelled but also seen a has complained about. A special of Business’ indigenous private marked jump in the proportion package for doctors has not only capital, especially in manufac- of the poor in its population. failed to stem exodus but pro- * Yao Graham is Editor-in- turing, continue to complain the While the top end of Accra’s voked demands from other Chief of African Agenda

8 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover

Continental unity and social justice are the legacy of Nkrumah GAMAL NKRUMAH ON HIS FATHER'S LEGACY On Tuesday, March 6, 2007, the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s A. G: Today, mass celebrations are being held in Ghana on the fiftieth anniversary of independence, the independence of Ghana from Britain. Democracy Now’s Gamal Nkrumah, can you talk about how your father came back to Ghana -- called the Amy Goodman talks Gold Coast then -- and organized, and how to Gamal Nkrumah, he ended up in prison? son of Ghana’s G. N: Well, Nkrumah returned to Ghana founding father, after being very active in the Pan-African movement in Britain. He was mobilizing Dr. Kwame Nkrumah many of the African students who were in and foreign editor of Britain at the time. He mobilized their sup- the Egyptian English- port for a Pan-African organization, and, sure enough, they organized the fifth Pan- language newspaper African Congress. Al-Ahram Weekly. After that, he was asked to return to Gamal Nkrumah Ghana by the ruling -- the educated elites at the time who had formed a party, and they A. G: Kwame Nkrumah helped usher in an Garvey greatly influenced Kwame asked him to be the secretary general of that era of independence for Africa after cen- Nkrumah’s thinking, but also W.E.B. party, because of his activism in Britain that turies of invasion, slavery and colonial rule. DuBois, whom he invited later to move to they had heard about. And, sure enough, he But in 1966, while he was away on a state Ghana, and he conferred on him Ghanaian organized. However, he quickly realized visit to China, Nkrumah was overthrown in citizenship, where he died, of course. And that they had a vested interest in not gaining a CIA-sponsored coup. He never returned to so, it was in the United States and later on in independence from Britain, because as the Ghana and died in exile in Guinea in 1972. Britain, where he was very active with the educated elite, they wanted to retain what Can you begin by talking about the signifi- Pan-African movement in establishing the little power the colonial administration gave cance of this day? [Ghana’s 50th fifth Pan-African Congress. So, in a way, them. Independence anniversary!] my father was the first link between conti- It was after that that he formed his own nental Africa and Africans in the diaspora. G. N: This day is of tremendous signifi- party, the Convention People's Party (CPP), And that greatly influenced his ideas later cance. It symbolizes the end of colonial rule and broke away from the established elitist on and his vision. After independence, he in Africa, and it ushers in a new era. It was party, the UGCC. And with the CPP formed, was convinced that the only way forward an era full of hope. The aspiration of the peo- he galvanized the young and the masses of for Africa is African continental unity. ple of Africa was about to be realized. African people in Ghana at the time, and his Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed a few He was also for social justice at home. rallying cry was “Independence now!” And years after that, symbolized again by the 24th So he was a great believer in the free educa- he realized that the people of Ghana wanted of February, 1966 coup d’ tion and free healthcare, which was essen- independence at that particular moment. etat that overthrew my father’s government. tial at the time for the people of Ghana, and After that, the colonial authorities it was unprecedented on the African conti- imprisoned him, but he continued leading, A. G: Before we get to the coup in 1966, the nent. Hundreds of schools were built, and even from prison. And the colonial authori- day you also left Ghana, could you trace the hospitals, across the country for the first ties had to organize elections, because the freedom struggle of your father, President country was in such a state of unrest then. time in the rural areas, as well as in the Kwame Nkrumah, and, before that, the free- And, sure enough, Kwame Nkrumah was urban centers. He laid the foundations for dom leader? Talk about where he was born, democratically elected as prime minister, how the independent struggle was formed, the industrialization of Ghana. He built the but the country still remained under the and how Ghana became an independent Akosombo Dam to generate electricity. He British Crown. In ’57, however, Ghanaians nation. also built the Tema Harbour, which was a voted to have independence, and Ghana was deepwater harbour, immediately after inde- G. N: My father was born in the Western the first African country south of the Sahara pendence. So he was laying the foundation Region of Ghana, the coastal region near the to gain independence from Britain, or from border with Ivory Coast. He was educated for the industrialization of Ghana. However, any European colonial power, for that mat- in Ghana and then left the country to study his dreams, his visions for Ghana were cut ter. However, on the day of independence in the United States. And in the United short by the 24th of February, 1966 coup. fifty years ago, Kwame Nkrumah stressed States, he met with many influential Pan- And today, we suffer in Ghana from the that the independence of Ghana was mean- Africanists, and he had imbibed the spirit of consequences of that coup. Over the years, ingless without the total liberation of the Pan-Africanism. The likes of Marcus there were successive military regimes -- continent of Africa.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 9 Cover

before the coup, when he had declared himself president for life; Preventive Detention Act, which allowed Nkrumah to hold anyone for up to five years without trial; the Trade Union Act, which made strikes illegal. Your comments on these! G. N: Well, I think we have to put that in the context of Ghana at the time. The situation was that all the left-leaning presidents in Africa, such as Gamal Abdel Nasser in Egypt or Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana and others were under tremendous pressure. In Egypt, there was the Israeli aggression, the Tripartite aggression in ’56, the Suez Canal crisis. And after that, Israel was always having wars and launching wars on the Arab countries, including Egypt, the largest one. In Ghana the pressures were also there -- (L-R) Nehru of India, Nkrumah, Nasser of Egypt and Sukarno of Indonesia Ghana was being sanctioned -- and especially after Nkrumah wrote his book, Neo- A. G: What does Pan-Africanism mean to promised to send an Egyptian plane to come Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism you, Gamal Nkrumah, and what did it mean and take us as a family to Egypt. in 1965. After that, in which -- in this book to your father? In the meantime, there was fighting he exposed the neo-colonial -- in fact, he between the presidential guard, who were coined the term. He said that an African G. N: Much the same thing. I believe in my loyal to my father, and the army and police country might be independent and have all father's vision of Pan-Africanism. Pan- who had plotted the coup with the help of the trappings of independence -- a govern- Africanism, as Kwame Nkrumah saw it, the CIA. And there was much fighting in the ment and currency, etc. -- but that in reality was continental African unity. That is, the grounds of the presidential palace. It was its economy is controlled by foreign capital. whole continent would be united into the called Flagstaff House. It still stands in He explained that in his book, Neo- United States of Africa. And that includes Ghana in Accra today. Colonialism. And I believe that it was after both North Africa and Africa south of the his publishing that particular book that the And we vacated the building at about Sahara. It also means that the African dias- CIA decided they have to get rid of him. 6:00 in the morning. And we went first to pora would have the right to return and to And so, Ghana was sanctioned, and the eco- the Egyptian embassy in Accra, and then we have African citizenship, if they so wish. nomic situation in the country began to be went to the police headquarters, where my It also means that Africa, as an impov- shaky. mother was interrogated. After that, we erished continent, as a continent that suf- Of course, Nkrumah's detractors said were taken to the airport, where the fered from 500 years of slavery and colo- that his programme of free education and Egyptian plane had just landed. At first, the nialism, that it needs to redress these free healthcare led to economic disaster. But coup plotters did not want to release us chil- wrongs done its people. And so, the onus that was not the case. The case was that dren. They wanted my mother to travel would be on social justice, that those who alone. And she refused point blank. She said Nkrumah was laying the foundations for suffered the most, the masses of Africa, that she has to have her children with her. Ghana’s industrialization and that what would have access to free healthcare and And we did eventually board the plane. And topped the top of his agenda was social jus- free education. These are essential parts of we arrived in Egypt the following day at tice and social rise. And I think it is impor- Nkrumah's Pan-Africanist vision. And this dawn. It was a very difficult day. It is per- tant in the context of the Cold War at the is precisely the Pan-Africanism that I haps the only day that I remember from time, in the context of underdevelopment, to believe in. dawn ’til dusk. realize that at the time people -- leaders like A. G: Gamal Nkrumah, can you talk about Nkrumah and Nasser in Egypt had stressed A. G: How do you know that the CIA was the day of the coup in 1966? Who was social rights, as opposed to individual behind the coup in Ghana? behind it? You were six years old at the human rights today, not that they underesti- time? G. N: Well, it is no secret that George Bush, mated individual human rights, but, to them, the father, was behind that particular project G. N: Yes. This is the only day that perhaps social rights, which means social welfare, to topple Kwame Nkrumah. And surely I remember from dawn to dusk. It was a ter- which means free education and free health- enough, he was rewarded after the coup by rible experience for a child of six. My sister care, were vitally important. And so, their being made director of the CIA, and his was five at the time, and my younger broth- priorities were a little bit different than political career took off after that day. And er was two. My younger brother, Sekou, did some of the democratic democrats today, the papers and documents of the time that not realize what’s going on. My sister was whether in Africa or elsewhere. And were embargoed are now -- anybody can crying. I remember she was crying the Nkrumah stressed that his people's welfare have access to those papers in Washington whole time, very distressed. My mother was was of utmost importance. in the Library of Congress. Any serious stu- very courageous. dent of history who’s interested in this par- And very early on in the morning at A. G: Gamal Nkrumah, why [did] your ticular episode would find ample evidence dawn, about 4:00 or so, she phoned father, after the coup, choose to go to in those documents in Washington. It's President Gamal Abdel Nasser, after whom Guinea, where he died years later. available for all today. I was named, of Egypt, and told him that G. N: He chose to go to Guinea, because it there is artillery fire and there is a coup d’e- A. G: Let me ask you about what Kwame was the nearest base to Ghana at the time. tat, what appears to be a coup. And Nasser Nkrumah was criticized for toward the end,

10 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover

He had dreamt of returning to Accra, Ghana ments, Gamal Nkrumah, on this fiftieth ple of African descent everywhere would and making Ghana the headquarters of a anniversary of the founding of Ghana, your also be proud. As long as Africa remains United States of Africa and inviting Pan- birthplace, your original home. impoverished, as long as it remains divided, Africanists from all over the continent and susceptible to civil wars, then Africans and G. N: I would appeal to all Pan-Africanists from the United States, the Caribbean and people of African descent the world over the world over, not just in Africa, to stick to the whole of the African diaspora to come to would never feel fully free or their aspira- Nkrumah's vision of continental African Ghana and make it their base. And so, he tions fully realized. unity and social justice, the welfare of the chose Guinea, because it was geographical- poorest and most vulnerable sections of ly closest to Ghana, and he had a special * Excerpts from interview by Democracy society. This was Nkrumah's legacy, and friendship with its president, Ahmed Sekou Now on Tuesday, March 6th, 2007. this is the only way forward for the people Toure. of Africa. And it is only when Africa stands The whole interview is available on A. G: In this last minute, your final com- tall among the nations of the world that peo- http://www.democracynow.org/articles

Nkrumah’sNkrumah’s ambitionambition waswas thethe fullfull realisationrealisation ofof thethe dignitydignity ofof thethe AfricanAfrican sayssays daughterdaughter

Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, talks to * Reggie Tagoe, on her father and his life. Samia: My father’s whatsoever, no skilled labour, no educated priority was his workforce, after years of colonial rule, the work. We got to country had nothing. Everything had to be understand this at an constructed from scratch. early age. And we RT: Tell me something about the family in also understood that your early years as you grew up. his life was in danger on many occa- Samia: When I was younger it felt that we, sions and this neces- Nkrumah’s immediate family, had to take sitated a different second place in his life. We did not see kind of family rela- much of our father and we did not spend tionship. A man much time with him. But as I grew, I saw who has had to that in a sense his presence with us has been endure half a dozen constant and powerful and his influence on assassination us has been understandably huge. attempts on his life, I have said before that while he left us and some of them no material inheritance, he left us a rich with lasting physi- consciousness that continues to guide us in cal damage, must our lives. We have a solid understanding take certain precau- tions even if these that we Africans hold the key to solving our included being sep- problems. I have no doubt that as he once arated from his fam- said, when Africa becomes a strong and ily. united nation, Africans will respect them- Aside from the selves and everyone will respect Africans. question of danger, When you are serving a big cause, a cause there was very little that concerns many people, you do not see a time at hand. There difference between the personal and the were many prob- public. Personal sacrifices are not regarded lems confronting as losses but as great gains because your Nkrumah the family man early independent happiness is linked to many others. That is Ghana. If you read how Nkrumah lived his life up till the very RT: Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a great his book, Africa Must Unite, you under- end and that is what he has transmitted to us politician how did he mix his political stand that the newly independent Ghana did his children. duties with family life at home? not have a single industry, no infrastructure

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 11 Cover AFP

Nkrumah and Haile Sellasie - pioneers of African unity

RT: Was he in contact with the family Ghana and never lost hope of doing so. If he world peace and advancement. Ghana was whilst in exile and did he mention anything had returned to Ghana, there would have his starting point, however. With the various about the coup and the people who ousted been fundamental changes. For example, he development plans in place at the time, him from power? had said that the coup had made plain that Ghana was to become a model of economic Samia: Father spoke to us on the phone on the CPP could not longer follow the old line advancement and freedom and from there very few occasions. We corresponded on a and it had to develop and reform. able to safeguard its political freedom. At the same time, he was equally con- regular, if not frequent, basis. He did not RT: He was talking of Nkrumaism when his cerned with diffusing his ideas on Pan- talk to us about his plans and work. countrymen and women did not even clear- Nkrumah, however, detailed all his experi- Africanism because he was convinced that they would outlive him anyway. ly understand what democracy is all about. ences and thoughts in the various books he What’s your take on that? wrote after the coup while living in Guinea. RT: What do you think were Dr. Kwame Nkrumah wrote some 14 books on various Nkrumah’s ambitions? Samia: I would urge you to read Nkrumah’s subjects ranging from the African unity books to get an idea of what he was about. Samia: In a nutshell, his only ambition was project to specific problems in certain the full realization of the dignity of the Let’s not forget that a relentless character African countries at the time, see Challenge African wherever he or she might be in the assassination was carried out against him. of the Congo and Rhodesia. Many of the world. To realize this, he championed an He couldn’t have got everything right, I’m books were completed while he was in African solution in the form of the Pan- sure, but in the 15 years he was in power, Guinea after 1966. In his book, Dark Days African Project and within this project he 1951-1966, Ghana had made great social in Ghana, he talks exhaustively about the called for the economic, social and political and economic leaps. By 1966, there were coup. development of the continent along conti- factories, roads, railways, radio and TV sta- RT: In cases about some former African nental lines. To Nkrumah, the optimum tions, telephone services, the Akosombo Presidents or Heads of State forced out of zone of development for Africans is the Dam. The list is endless. It was important to power they tried to get back to power whole continent. He believed that if the make accessible the African Unity ideas to through any means, did Dr. Kwame resources and population of African States the people of Ghana. You cannot rely on Nkrumah plan to get back to be President of were pulled together, development planned economic unification only, you have to and executed continentally, Africa would be Ghana after the Feb. 24, 1966 coup, was understand why the call for unity and back there any desire in him for power in Ghana? far ahead. Nkrumah was convinced that only a strong, economically viable African it with political will. To do so, you need Samia: Nkrumah never lost sight of Ghana Nation, or a United States of Africa, would people’s acceptance and understanding of and never gave up on his dream and social address the continent’s problems. the concept of unity. Unity is a culture that development. One could not happen without He also understood that a stable, peace- must be understood and not imposed on the other. He certainly wanted to get back to ful African continent would contribute to people and therefore it had to be explained.

12 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover

It is telling that 40 years on, the slogan these accusations? on the official site of the African Union Because, most dictators (AU) is Africa Must Unite, which is one of are all those things: cor- the titles of Nkrumah’s books and his main rupt, violent and only thesis. It is interesting that the AU is cham- interested in securing pioning many of the steps that were recom- power. Nkrumah was not mended by Nkrumah in the early sixties. It any of these. is also interesting that some great African RT: Do you think he leaders, like the late Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, who at the time were not totally rushed Ghana into convinced of Nkrumah’s Pan-African proj- Independence too early? ect eventually came to understand and agree Samia: Political inde- with it. pendence was not regarded RT: He imprisoned his political opponents as an end in itself but the against the backdrop of freedom, justice and means to achieve econom- independence. What was he aiming to ic freedom and advance- achieve? ment. After years of colonialism, Ghana had no Samia: Let me first say that I wish to sin- industries, no skilled work cerely apologize to any Ghanaian who was force, and no infrastruc- imprisoned in the name of Nkrumah. It sad- ture. Only after independ- dens me to know that anyone suffered for ence did the full truth their political beliefs. I am an advocate of about the extent of our Nkrumah and President Tito of Yugoslavia freedom and democracy and human rights. economic backwardness And I am strongly opposed to violence as a became known. A colonized State is devel- daughter of Ghana and Africa and having a way of reacting to any problem. oped in a way that serves the colonizer. responsibility to Africans everywhere. But before answering your question Colonialism was not only economic, but We worked hard and tried to make ends fully, we have to examine the context in cultural and social. Why would any one meet like most ordinary people and I am which those actions were taken. At a time want that for themselves? very grateful for that. How else could I real- when the new Ghanaian government was The struggle for political independence ly understand people who are struggling if I busy laying the foundation for the industri- is not putting the whole blame on the colo- had an easy time myself? alization of the country, laying plans for nizer. Slavery and colonialism, like all the I have not found to date any solution education, medical services, utilities, facto- present ills of our society, could not have that is better articulated and that makes ries, road networks, etc. Nkrumah’s govern- happened without the consent of some of us. more sense than the Pan-African project as ment was subjected to untold economic and Likewise, our most intractable prob- he explains it. At the same time, I fully political pressure and external interference. lems would never be solved, and here I’m respect those who might not agree with Just to give a few examples on the econom- thinking of long-term solutions and not just Nkrumah’s ideas. ic level, the cocoa price was forced down, quick relief, without an African solution. I do not condone violence in any form and promptly raised after the 1966 coup. This is not because we don’t respect peo- but I respect differing opinions. Investment and credit guarantees were can- ple’s advice, but because the best solutions celled. On the domestic political level, RT: Do you think Dr. Kwame Nkrumah have to be specific to a certain context and would have achieved his objectives on Nkrumah and his colleagues were subjected born out of real life experience. to violence in the form of assassination Africa if he’d not been overthrown. Africa attempts on his life and a relentless charac- RT: Do you feel any resentment against the is a continent with diverse languages, tribes, ter assassination campaign. The pressure on people who overthrew your father from cultures etc.? Nkrumah professionally and personally was power? Certainly life wasn’t the same isn’t Samia: Nkrumah is quoted as having said, beyond anything you might imagine. it? ‘I have often been accused of pursuing the Despite this, no one was ever executed Samia: You are right. Life was never the policy of the impossible but I cannot believe for attempting a coup against Nkrumah’s same. But I strongly believe things happen in the impossibility of achieving African government or for attempting to murder for a reason, and if you keep an open mind, unity any more than I could ever have Nkrumah. And this was because Nkrumah the reason is always a good one. Being believed in the impossibility of attaining was strongly opposed to this. Nkrumah’s daughter has taught me a great African freedom’. I believe there has been a big campaign deal about humility. We are not talking here Just consider this: By 1963, around 44 to taint Nkrumah’s name and reputation. about a mere sentiment. I can sincerely say years ago, Nkrumah had called for an all- Nkrumah is not here to defend himself that the pain and confusion have served me African Commission to take steps to set up against those accusations. Like you, I am very well. I had to wipe the slate clean. I a common market for Africa, an African asking questions concerning the curb of have made an effort to understand what monetary zone, an African Central Bank, a freedom: Was he mislead by certain advi- Nkrumah tried to do and that has led me to Continental Communications System, an sors? Did he get distracted and not control embrace all Ghanaians and Africans in my African common currency, a Commission what some of those around him were up to? thoughts. for a common citizenship. Today the But what I do know is that Nkrumah Understanding his ideas led me to those European Union is implementing these was not interested in power for its sake. thoughts and that cancelled all the resent- plans. What does that tell us? Neither was he a man who amassed person- ment. I understand clearly that we are an al wealth at the expense of his country. inseparable part of a whole nation. Being * Reggie Tagoe is Ghanaian journalist Why do I say all this in connection with Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter means being a based in Italy.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 13 Cover US$20 million indece celebrations budget sparks controversy Ghanaians celebrated the country’s golden independence anniversary with pomp and pride. But that was not all. The celebration has touched off controversies of its own reminiscent of the days and months leading to the declaration of independence 50 years ago, writes * Kwesi W. Obeng. AFP

wash in the national Fifty years ago, on March Ghana’s first President Kwame has not been without controver- (Pan-African) colours 6, 1957, the tiny West African Nkrumah, whose mortal sies. Perhaps most controversial of red, gold and green nation of Ghana blazed the trail remains are buried at the same of all is President John Kufuor Awith the black star and scented of what heralded the beginning spot today (and renamed the government’s allocation of air of excitement, the breezy of the end of colonialism in Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum), US$20 million for the year-long Ghanaian capital of Accra Africa. And in less than a declared that: the independence independence celebrations. opened its arms to welcome the decade large parts of the patch- of Ghana is meaningless unless The US$20 million budget, rest of the world to celebrate the work of colonial dominions it is linked with the total libera- which trickles down to each of country’s golden jubilee on carved up by European powers tion of the African continent. Ghana’s 20-million population March 6, 2007. in 1884 became a constellation A reenactment of that dec- contributing a dollar to the cele- Over 60 official delegations of new states. Indeed, within the laration on the eve of independ- bration expenses, could have from around the world includ- space of three years following ence last March served as a been invested in more critical ing two dozen African heads of Ghana’s independence, not less great start to official activities to but failing areas of society such state and prime ministers – from than 10 African states had also mark the country’s golden as education, health, sanitation Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika thrown out the colonialists and anniversary celebrations. and housing, sections of the to Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe the shackles. public including opposition – descended to savour with Ushering in the brave new First controversy leaders, rights activists and aca- Ghana’s 20 million population nation at the beachfront then demics argue. their hard-won freedom. known as Old Polo Grounds, But the national jubilation

14 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover

Many opponents of the went into organising events to was being celebrated. ‘Ghana is multi-million dollar budget for mark the anniversary. faced with pervasive corruption the celebrations admit the self- at all levels, missed opportuni- confidence, liberty, socio-eco- Luxury cars ties for genuine progress, nepo- nomic and political develop- The disbursement of the tism, tribalism and known cases ments Ghana’s independence Ghana@50 budget makes an ‘How do you of political torture and killings. unleashed across the continent interesting reading. It includes There is also decay of our local and much of the black world is the acquisition of 241 new vehi- waste US$20 mil- industry, the breakdown of our cause to celebrate. Their beef is cles – Mercedes, BMWs and educational system, and an the huge budget and over such Jaguars – for the golden jubilee lion on luxury empty façade of good gover- trivial ventures as parties for celebrations. This amounted to nance which earns the applause visiting heads of state while US$5 million. These vehicles, cars and parties of those who seek to control us’, ordinary Ghanaians suffer the officials claim are also meant to Rawlings charged. indignities of poverty, jobless- be used during seven other and go to the Rawlings accused the NPP ness and lack of basic services international events Ghana will government of seizing every as water and electricity. play host to over the next two World Bank to opportunity to criminalize his True the country is one of years such as AU Summit, administration. ‘I cannot share the politically most stable AGOA meeting and CAN 2008. give you money to the same platform with the same democracies in Sub-Saharan The President’s term of office people who have taken every Africa with a fairly strong econ- ends in December 2008. provide water for opportunity to denigrate us for omy – growing at an average of A further US$5 million of the last seven years and see no 5.5 per cent over the last decade the budget was said to have your own people good in what we did for this – and a decent human rights been used on renovation works country. And I cannot be part of record. of such monuments as the who don’t have part of a cover-up for the defile- But a third of Ghanaians Independence Arch and the ment and violations of the prin- live below the poverty line. An Liberation Square. Another potable water.’ ciples of self-respect, pride and even higher number do not have sixty (60) billion cedis was hope that underlie 6th March, access to treated water, sanita- reportedly sunk into the prepa- 1957.’ tion and decent housing. It ration of durbar grounds in the Rawlings handed over couldn’t have been worse. The regions and construction of pub- power to then newly elected country is currently in throes of lic toilets in some parts of the President Kufuor after serving in the back of the leader and an acute energy shortage. The country. two four-year terms in 2001. founder of the NDC some Akosombo Dam, Ghana’s In reaction to public outcry That handing over marked the claimed. Others chastised largest power supply complex about the size of the budget and first peaceful transition of Rawlings on the airwaves for commissioned in 1966, is one of the potential for its misuse, power in Ghana from one elect- failing to attend the celebra- the most endearing infrastruc- Parliament summoned the ed president to another elected tions. Some sympathizers of the tural legacies of Kwame President’s Chief of Staff and president since the country’s ruling party dismissed Nkrumah. head of the Ghana@50 independence. Rawlings’ absence at the cele- Ghana has been rationing Secretariat to explain how the brations as ‘good riddance’ power to both homes and indus- US$20 million was being spent. No boycott explaining off that the ex- tries since August 2006. “The secretariat will submit its Although, Rawlings’ party President’s presence could have That is precisely one reason accounts to the Auditor-General backed his decision to stay out ‘complicated’ matters for the why critics of the government for audit at the end of the year as of the celebrations, the NDC sitting President to handle. argue that the US$20 million all public organizations do”, the issued a statement in which it By far the fiercest critic of golden anniversary budget President’s Chief of Staff, Mr. said it would be foolhardy for the current government, former Kwadwo Mpianim, told the country’s largest opposition could have been put to better president Rawlings who ruled Parliament. and former ruling party to boy- use other than partying and buy- Ghana for nearly 20 of the cott the anniversary. ing of luxury cars to drive country’s 50 years, turned down Rawlings disappearance It said the party had to be at around visiting heads of state. an invitation from President the celebrations because it ‘How do you waste US$20 Absent at the jubilee cele- Kufuor to participate in the offered ‘a political platform at million on luxury cars and par- brations was Ghana’s only liv- golden jubilee festivities. which the imagery of our ties and go to the World Bank to ing ex-President, Jerry ‘My conscience and princi- national symbols, heroes and give you money to provide Rawlings. His spouse, Nana ples will not permit me to join consciousness take the centre water for your own people who Agyemang Rawlings also did Kufuor and his government for stage’. Even more, the NDC don’t have potable water’, a for- not attend any of the functions this anniversary,’ Rawlings said. needed ‘to show up at the mer ally of the President and but leaders of Rawlings’ party, Thabo Mbeki of South parade to signal its patriotic parliamentary candidate of the the opposition National Africa and African-American spirit, its avowed intention to ruling party, Kofi Wayo asked. Democratic Congress (NDC) civil rights campaigner, Rev. keep the independence flame According to Dr. Wereko- did. Jesse Jackson, who were at the burning, its resolve to resist the Brobby, CEO of the Ghana@50 Prof. John Atta Mills, celebrations, observed that ‘the oppressors’ rule, its commit- celebrations secretariat, the Rawlings’ Vice President and independence of Ghana was a ment to ensure that multiparty US$20 million was used for flagbearer of the NDC in two landmark event with global democracy works and its tenac- infrastructural development previous general elections led impact.’ ity to hold neo-colonialism in while public donations amount- the opposition party to partici- But Rawlings like many whatever form in check’. ing to about 20 billion cedis pate in the celebrations. A stab other Ghanaians wondered what

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 15 Cover

Kwesi Pratt Jnr a leading member of the CPP, Nkrumah’s party and publisher of the Weekly Insight newspaper dismissed the NDC hierarchy’s presence at the celebrations after it had publicly supported Rawlings’s stance not to attend the anniversary celebration, as an act of hypocrisy. The Ghana Bar Association (GBA), a strong voice for rights in the post colonial period waded into the controversy and condemned Rawlings for absenting himself from the celebrations. Kwami Tetteh, president of the association told an audience at a lecture co-organised by the GBA and the American Bar Association (ABA) in Accra that ‘we’ll celebrate whether there is division or no division’. For keen followers of Ghanaian politics this is really Accra’s Liberation Square: Celebrating the founding members of African unity no surprise. Since Kufuor took over power the bad blood And it would appear that the Dapaah, and the Inspector dumped ubiquitous Ghanaian between him and Rawlings has clash between Rawlings and General of Police in a last- cloth for a suit. deteriorated. Attempts by both Kufuor even on the issue of the minute marathon meeting on The president’s explanation religious and traditional leaders country’s golden jubilee cele- March 5 prevailed on the CJA that he chose suit over a local in the past have failed to heal brations is both ideological and leadership to reschedule the wear because he had to deal their differences. personal. Kufuor and his NPP procession for another date to with a large number of guests There’s even an antecedent are avowed right of centre while allow the Independence Day and had so many programmes to Rawlings’ boycott of the Rawlings prefers to pose as cen- celebrations to proceed peace- lined up was hardly enough to national jubilee celebrations in tre of left revolutionary. fully at the Independence assuage the public’s anger. the annals of modern Ghana’s But it was not only the Square. ‘I accept the president's short history. The decade lead- multi-million dollar anniversary The CJA climb-down ran- position on not wearing kente ing to independence and the one budget and Rawlings’ involve- kled their supporters who cloth for that epic momentous following March 6, 1957 were ment or non-involvement in the poured scorn on the leadership parade. What I don't accept is marked by sharp divisions celebrations that proved contro- of the group in radio phone-in that, he seems to think kente among leading independence versial in the jubilee festivities. programmes. wrapper cloth is all there is, as politicians with the Nkrumah’s A mass protest planned by to wearing Ghanaian traditional Convention People’s Party on the Committee of Joint Action President’s clothes cloth’, Eric Kwasi Bottah post- one side and the United Gold (CJA), a group of opposition ed on a blog. Coast Convention on the other. So what has what a presi- elements, rights activists and dent wears got to do with inde- Kufuor’s predecessors notably Dr. Nkrumah, Dr. Hilla Irony Nkrumaists, through the princi- pendence celebrations? pal streets of Accra to mark the Ghanaians are renowned world- Limann and Rawlings regularly The irony is that fifty years Independence Day on March 6, wide for their pride in their tra- wore the smock for high profile ago, the predecessor political ostensibly to draw attention to ditional fabrics and clothes like state functions. party of the current Ghanaian the plight of ordinary Ghanaians the kente, smock, the hand- With the year long celebra- government, the United Party, tions set to climax on December and the failings of the establish- woven striped cloth and batik. boycotted the independence cel- 31, 2007, there can only be ment, cropped up as one of the A day after the celebrations ebration. Leading figures of this it was not the colour, pomp and more of such controversies even elite party (whose mother party most contentious issues in the pageantry nor the message the as Ghanaians hoist their nation- UGCC Nkrumah broke away month of the country’s golden President read that grabbed pub- al colours on their roof tops, from in 1949 to form the mass jubilee. lic attention. Rather, it was what cars, lamp posts and every following CPP) accused First came police threat to the president wore, better still, available space across the coun- Nkrumah of being in too much the protesters not to embark on try and the nation hots up for haste to set Ghana free from any demonstration because the what the president failed to wear. President Kufuor general elections in December colonial rule. country was playing host to 2008. Historically, as Patrick international guests. An Accra appeared at the celebrations in a Smith of African Confidential High Court waded in and Western suit. Public outcry was notes, ‘the political divide in declared the march illegal. unrelenting and uncompromis- ing prompting the President to * Kwesi W. Obeng is Assistant Ghana has always been ideolog- Eventually, however the Editor, African Agenda. ical – between left and right’. Minister of Interior, Albert Kan- jump on air to explain why he

16 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover Women side-stepped in anniversary celebrations March 6, 2007 marked the 50th independence anniversary when Ghana broke free from the chains of British colonization. But the lack of recognition of the pivotal role women played in the independence struggle and after has touched raw nerves, writes *Isabella Gyau Orhin.

ccra was a loud, busy, sweaty and choked but prim city on Monday, AMarch 5, 2007, which was the eve of Ghana’s Independence Day. The tree-lined streets, cars, schools right through to the sprawling markets were all decked in the national colours of read, gold, green and the black star. At the markets in particular, traders, largely women, wore necklaces, wristbands and headgears of the national colours or wrapped the national flag around their waist or neck. Some partially covered their wares with the national flag ostensibly to entice buyers. It is generally believed that women outnumbered their men counterparts who took part in the celebrations at the Independence Square on Independence Day even though fewer women were on the Presidential dais. This is hardly different from what the situation was dur- Ready, capable and on the go - women ing the actual independence celebration 50 years ago. national 50th anniversary pro- anniversary? Probably not but organized to celebrate the lives Television footage of the event gramme for the celebrations the failure of the official nation- of the many women who played depicts a lot of women cheering hardly reflects the remarkable al anniversary programme for critical roles in the country’s along their men and dancing on contribution of women to the the celebrations to recognize the march out of bondage into free- the night of the declaration of emergence of modern Ghana. significant role women played dom, they expressed their mis- independence. in the struggle for independence givings. Media reports further indi- Fast forward and the thereafter has aroused In apparent response to the cate that women of the nationwide uproar. public outcry against the exclu- By the time this edition of Convention People’s Party It is against this backdrop sion of women in the celebra- African Agenda comes out (CPP), Ghana’s first ruling party that women’s rights groups tions, the Ministry of Women played a central role in the Ghana would have installed notably Network of Women’s and Children’s Affairs held an struggle for independence as Justice Georgina Wood, as the Rights (NETRIGHT), the exhibition of photos on the they travelled the length and country’s first female Chief National Coalition on Domestic achievements of Ghanaian breadth of the new country, Justice, fifty years after inde- Violence and the Women’s women and announced the insti- spreading the message of "free- pendence. Manifesto Coalition questioned tution of a hall of fame for dom" and educating citizens-to- Is this a mere coincidence the apparent relegation of women who meritoriously be for nationhood. given that 2007 marks the coun- women in the anniversary cele- served the country, both past But the official year-long try’s golden independence brations. At several fora they and present.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 17 Cover

But women were largely proposals to the Ghana @50 Dr. Tsikata said for history to be invisible in the official activities Secretariat, the main organisa- complete, it should encompass for the celebrations. Some tion set up by government to the contributions of both males women’s rights groups have ‘We would like to organize and co-ordinate the and females as "partial recollec- also questioned the manner year-long celebrations, for sup- tions are harmful in that they women have been treated note with disap- port in organizing activities to distort our future plans and poli- throughout the fifty years of showcase women's participation cies." Ghana's independence. pointment that in the independence struggle but The coalition was of the According to the protesters, while there is much were refused. view that women not only form women in the country have not They expressed discontent half of the population of the been given equal treatment as recollection of the at the authority’s apparent side- country but also had a special accorded their male counter- stepping of the role of women in relationship with the anti-colo- parts and that they are always role of certain key the liberation struggle and the nial struggle which former celebrated negatively, if cele- insignificant inclusion of President Nkrumah recognized brated at all. figures and various women in the anniversary cele- in his autobiography and for brations. which their contribution must Faceless social groups in our "We would like to note with be fully acknowledged. disappointment that while there At a press conference to independence is much recollection of the role Significant role highlight the contributions of of certain key figures and vari- women over the past 50 years Ruth Botsio, wife of one of struggle, women's ous social groups in our inde- and to outdoor activities to com- Ghana’s founding fathers, Kojo pendence struggle, women's memorate the golden jubilee contributions to the Botsio, remembers how she and contributions to the founding of independence anniversary, other women decided they were Ghana have not been adequately women's rights activists founding of Ghana going to wear local clothes with recognized and honoured", said resolved to bring women's par- pride and style against the wish- Dr. Dzodzi Tsikata, a leading ticipation in the development of have not been ade- es of the colonialists and some member of the women's group. Ghana, especially the active quately recognized local elites. Ghana's brilliantly contribution of women in the She said while the contribu- coloured, hand-loom woven country's independence struggle and honoured.’ tion of men is always celebrat- kente cloth became a fashion to the fore. ed, those of women are always statement. The women attracted NETRIGHT said that some left out hence the male domi- significant attention wherever women's rights groups had sent nance of the country's history. they travelled.

18 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Cover AFP Hoisting the flag of Ghana

According to Mrs. Botsio it contributions of women in the against 205 men. The women's rights was important for her and others country, the coalition noted that Studies show that since the activists therefore called on to let the colonial British admin- women are still experiencing inception of the local govern- government to lend support to istrators – and everyone else – livelihood insecurities, harass- ment system, women’s partici- the demands of women know that Ghana had its own ments and continue to demand pation as elected members has espoused in the Women's customs, traditions and heritage. for things that were demanded been fewer than 10 per cent. Manifesto as the country cele- Women were largely dis- in the colonial era. Critics say the highest num- brates its Golden Jubilee criminated against in the politi- ber of women District Chief Independence anniversary cal, social and economic struc- Representation Executives (DCEs) that the But the Chief Executive tures of the colonial state which They also spoke against the country had between 1998 and Officer of the Ghana@50 secre- had stiff opposition from insignificant representation of 2000 was eleven (11). The peri- tariat Dr. Charles Wereko- women with the formation of women in the current parlia- od 2001 to December, 2004 had Brobbey admits that women various women's groups to fight ment and local administration seven (7) women DCEs. have played a leading role in the for women's rights at the time. systems, making politics and In spite of the creation of nation’s development. The coalition therefore governance a preserve of men 28 new districts, the process of “Ghana’s whole economy called on government to honour with gender equity not seen as a nomination and appointment and drive is led by its women,” women, some of who are still priority. promises only a marginal he says “it’s time we celebrate In real terms there has been alive, for their immense contri- improvement in the proportions the contributions of women in a decline in women MPs over bution to the anti-colonial strug- the decades. Women constituted of women as Chief Executives. our lives.” An after thought, gle and building a post inde- nearly a third of the members of It is only in 2006 that a female perhaps. pendence Ghana by erecting a the first Republican Parliament. was elected Metropolitan Chief monument in their memory. Today, only 25 women are serv- Executive of Ghana’s second *Isabella Gyau Orhin writes for In spite of the numerous ing as parliamentarians as largest city, Kumasi. Public Agenda in Accra, Ghana.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 19 Development Doha was never about development, says former USTR Barshefsky Former US trade Representative Barshefsky has admitted that the Doha Round could not have been launched but for the post 9/11 sympathy enjoyed by the US as the Round was never about development, writes * Martin Khor.

he Doha Round was cultural market launched on false pre- access and serv- tences, including calling ices, if accepted, Tit a development round, and the would have neg- ability of developed countries to ative effects on make it a development round is the development "absent", according to former prospects of United States Trade developing Representative, Charlene countries, as Barshefsky. they would have In a recent interview, she to open their also said that the Round would markets through almost certainly not have been very significant launched as there was no enthu- tariff reduction siasm for it, but the September and the local 11 incident changed that farmers and because countries had to show industries would solidarity with the US. not be able to Barshefsky also remarked compete. that the Round's conclusion Barshefsky would be hailed as a victory but was USTR when the result would be "far less" the Uruguay than it should be if rich coun- Round agree- tries genuinely pursued a ment was signed Trickery of the North robs the poor in the South of a livelihood "development round." and who repre- She was then asked if the shows, there may have been the These are perhaps the most sented the US at the first two conclusion of the round will live broad "intention" on the part of frank comments made by a sen- WTO Ministerial conferences in up to any of the original expec- the wealthy nations to make this ior member of the trade estab- 1996 and 1998. She is currently tations. a development round, but their lishment of the US on how the senior international partner at ability to execute has always, in Doha talks were launched and WilmerHale, a Washington law how development was used as a firm, and she is also a business False pretences important respects, been absent "false pretence" to get develop- leader, sitting on the boards of - something clear from the out- Barshefsky replied: "The set, rhetoric aside. ing countries on board. American Express, Estee round was launched on essen- The remarks of the former Lauder, Intel and Starwood "At the end of this process, tially false pretences, in two what will undoubtedly be por- USTR seem to be in line with Hotels. respects. recent independent analyses of She was giving her views at trayed as an important victory "First, it was launched will, I believe, be far less than the main proposals on the table, a question-and-answer session almost immediately in the after- that there is little pro-develop- in a "business blog" of the what it should have been had math of 9/11. I believe that but the wealthy nations genuinely ment content. These include International Herald Tribune. for 9/11, it almost certainly analyses by several academics The interview took place on 31 pursued a development round." would not have been launched. Barshefsky added that the US (including Joseph Stiglitz of January at a blog site entitled As the six-year delay since then Columbia University, Robert "Managing Globalisation" run and Europe are "working hard", shows, but for 9/11 there was and that the developing coun- Wade of the London School of by Daniel Altman. almost no enthusiasm for the Economics, Sandra Polaski of Barshefsky was asked tries are under enormous round. domestic political pressure not the Carnegie Endowment for whether there was hope for the "September 11 changed to make further large conces- International Peace, and Kevin WTO's Doha negotiations. She that. Countries believed that sions, particularly in agricul- Gallagher of Tufts University) said that "given the reticence of they needed to show solidarity ture. and development groups (such most of the trade ministers in with the United States and make "It's understandable that as Oxfam, ActionAid and Third scoping out the odds of Doha a statement about the global everyone's domestic politics World Network). being reinvigorated, and given economy and the importance of plays perhaps the most critical the fact that several ministers Negative economic growth. So the round role in what ends up on the table have now become reasonably was launched. Many of the analyses also in negotiations. But this really vocal with respect to movement, "Second, the round was clashes with the notion that the show that in many ways the pro- I suspect that the round will called a development round. posals on agriculture, non-agri- Doha Round is genuinely a move forward fairly soon." Again, as the six-year delay development round."

20 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Development

Good wishes take a look at the specific issues industries than they would have this with every major player, on the table and resolve them, under a more robust internation- except perhaps Japan, which Asked what she thought one way or another. That's al system of rules." hasn't engaged much in free about the reported change in the where the negotiators have to Asked about the role of trade agreement negotiations. negotiating strategy for Doha, turn, because there is no other bilateral and regional trade You also see this in every region with not so much stress on means at this point to reinvigo- agreements, Barshefsky said of the world as countries vie modalities, Barshefsky said, rate the round." their number, now in excess of with one another not just in an "It's the only place negotiators Barshefsky also said that if 200 globally, will, with or with- economic sense, but in the pro- had left to go." Discussions of the Doha Round were not to out Doha, only increase. jection of power." principles resulted in nothing conclude, "I don't believe there Besides economic advan- concrete other than good wish- would be any short-term nega- tage, these agreements "speak to * Martin Khor is Director of es. Discussion of modalities in tive effect. Medium-term, I the building of political Third World Network the abstract is fraught with believe there could be more of alliances. Free trade agreements delay and difficulty, and had an effect if countries believe are a means by which countries (The interview can be read at been tried already, twice. that they have more manoeu- solidify their global position http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/bus "The only place left to go is vring room to protect domestic and global influence. You see iness/globalization/?p=342) to say, All right, let's simply

coastal countries and threatening the local fisheries sector on which many communities rely for employment. POOR NEED MORE And EU officials continue to face allegations that they are using aggressive tactics in trade negotiations with a range of THAN A DECLARATION developing countries. To address claims that the The European Union’s declaration on its 50th anniversary promising to Union is giving with one hand and stealing from poor countries help the poor remains at best mere words, writes * David Cronin. with the other, the EU's main institutions approved a new he 50th anniversary of the European Union has been marked by a decla- Tration committing the 27-country bloc to "drive back poverty, hunger and disease" throughout the world. But will this statement in the two-page Berlin Declaration, signed by German Chancellor and head of the Union's rotating presidency Angela Merkel, usher in a set of new EU policies that displays a genuine desire to further the interests of the poor? The 1957 Treaty of Rome, which led to the EU's founding, was drawn up at a time when Europe's colonial powers faced a changing relationship with the territories they controlled. Some 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa won independence in

1956-60. Against this back- AFP drop, the treaty contains a Declarations are not shelter from poverty pledge to pursue a development policy. Before long, however, it poor countries. tries by flooding their markets 'consensus for development' in would become apparent that any The lavish subsidies paid with cheap imports. The fish- 2005. It undertook to iron out good which the EU's develop- out under the Common eries agreements signed the so-called incoherence ment aid activities did could be Agricultural Policy have been between the EU and Africa have between the EU's development undermined by how some of its blamed for imperiling the liveli- been accused of plundering a policy on one side and its eco- other policies were inimical to hoods of farmers in poor coun- key source of protein in many nomic policies on the other.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 21 Development

'dependent' territories outside ly far outweigh the benefits their own borders. accruing from development Twenty such territories are aid," Mold added. covered by the Cotonou "The first development Agreement. Signed in Benin, rule should be 'do no harm'. West Africa, in 2000, this And, regrettably, on a number accord underpins relations of scores, the EU does not cur- between the EU and the ACP rently pass this test." grouping. It replaced the Whereas development was Yaounde and Lome conven- for decades the EU's main poli- tions, which, according to cy towards the wider world, the many EU officials, kept Union's decision-makers have Europe's relations with Africa spent much time since the end to the purely economic. of the Cold War considering "Links between Europe how they can have more far- and the ACP were always post- reaching foreign policies, colonial and political links, with a strong security dimen- despite the convenient fic- sion. tions often invoked by the These policies have led to European Commission that the Union commanding peace- the conventions were solely keeping missions in Congo economic, neutral or non- and the Balkans. Yet, they political," said Lister. have not yet enabled it to Andrew Mold, an econo- apply effective pressure mist with the United Nations against mass violators of Economic Commission for human rights. Latin America and the Some commentators have Caribbean, says that the noted how a European commu- effects of colonialism can still nity formed in response to the be seen from East Timor to carnage that the continent wit- Darfur. nessed in the 1940s is today Although colonialism has failing to take robust action hampered economic develop- against the alleged genocide ment in poor countries and cre- being carried out in Sudan. ated a legacy of failed states Although the EU's foreign AFP and horrific conflicts, "there is ministers have expressed con- no objective reason why the cern about events in the west EU as an institution should Sudanese province of Darfur Rob van Drimmelen from more attention to the develop- feel prisoner to the history of more than 50 times since Aprodev, a network of anti- ment dimension in the EPA its member states," he added. 2004, they have not imposed poverty groups linked to talks," van Drimmelen told In his new book 'EU tough sanctions against the Protestant churches, says that IPS. Development Policy in a Khartoum government such as the EU's executive arm, the The EU Civil Society Changing World', Mold notes an oil embargo or asset freez- European Commission, Contact Group, which bands that the Union has tended to ing. deserves credit for putting the together environmental, anti- see its links with poor coun- "While the 50th anniver- coherence question under poverty, human rights, trade tries as "more enlightened" sary is surely a time for cele- scrutiny. union and public health than the foreign policy of the bration, it is also a time to But he said that the com- activists, had urged that the United States. reflect on one of the underly- mitment is not being reflected Berlin Declaration should bind "One particularly revealing reasons for the formation in the Economic Partnership the Union to several concrete ing fact is that while the EU of the EU: the commitment of Agreements (EPAs) which the measures. In particular, it spends the equivalent of 20% the nations of Europe to the Commission is negotiating asked that the EU's trade and of its combined defence budg- prevention of genocide and with 75 African, Caribbean agriculture policies be ets on development aid, the crimes against humanity," said and Pacific (ACP) countries. reformed by 2009. equivalent figure for the US is Lotte Leicht, the EU director EU trade officials are using Ten years ago, the only 3.5%," he said. with Human Rights Watch. these talks to seek the scrap- Commission issued a publica- Nonetheless, he warns that "After the horrific crimes ping of ACP tariffs on a large tion boasting that Europe's this should not give the EU of the Holocaust, the world number of imports, leading to colonial era is "behind us". any grounds for complacency. vowed 'never again'. But that fears that they could reduce the Marjorie Lister, a lecturer "The damage done through vow seems terribly empty in countries' scope for economic in European studies in policy coherence in other view of what is happening development. Britain's University of areas - such as requesting today in Darfur." "The EU can make lofty Bradford, regards that state- excessively onerous conces- statements but it is discourag- ment as misleading. She sions in trade deals or condon- ing and disappointing that the points out that several ing abusive fishing policies of * David Cronin writes for the Commission is not paying European countries still have member states - can potential- IPS from Brussels.

22 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Development Beef up budget allocations to achieve MDGs Campaigners have called on African states to put in place sufficient budget allocations and the right policies if the continent is to meet the global and regional health care targets that governments have committed themselves to, writes *Moyiga Nduru.

n 2000, African states, along with most of the world, agreed to meet the United Nations' Millennium Development IGoals (MDGs) by 2015. African heads of state also committed their countries to improving health care across the continent by 2010 at a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2001. Of the eight MDGs, three relate directly to health. One calls for reducing child mortality, the other for improving maternal health and the last one is aimed at combating HIV/AIDS and malaria. Campaigners are concerned that the majority of African nations will not achieve these MDGs. Therefore, representatives from 143 member organisations of the African Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS and Allies came together in Johannesburg, South Africa, from April 9-13 to lobby African health ministers who were meeting at the same time to draft the Africa Health Strategy 2007-2015. The coalition urged African governments to allocate 15% of national budgets to health care, as per the Abuja commitment of 2001. It also urged governments to engage civil society and ministries in mobilising Can she keep smiling into adulthood? resources for tuberculosis (TB). ''Eight million Africans are dying from HIV/AIDS. Funding gap HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria every year. We ''We cannot meet the MDGs at this want to stop this,'' Regis Mtutu of the pace. We need to double up our efforts Member states should work towards Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) told IPS through some extraordinary work, particu- closing the TB funding gap of nearly $11 in an interview. TAC is a pressure group larly in the areas of HIV/AIDS, TB and billion over the next decade, the coalition based in Cape Town, South Africa, which malaria,'' said Mtutu. demanded. It organised a demonstration on seeks access to drugs for people living with Regarding the commitment to set aside 11 April. About 1,000 people participated. 15% of national budgets for health services, ''only Botswana and The Gambia have met this promise'', Mtutu said. ‘We cannot meet the MDGs at this pace. We need to Following the demonstration in double up our efforts through some extraordinary Johannesburg, the coalition presented its petition to the African Union (AU) commis- work, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS, TB and sion for health. ''We hope that they will listen to us. We are not fighting them. We are malaria.’ sending our message robustly,'' Mtutu said.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 23 Development

The coalition said in a statement that ''the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe deserves special mention as it is also a health crisis for Africa. People living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe cannot obtain the care they need and the climate of violence is perpetuating the epidemics of HIV and TB.'' Civil society groups put the number of Zimbabweans who have fled their country since the crisis began in 2000 to 5 million, with 2.5 million of them believed to be living in South Africa. Others have fled to Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Britain and the United States.

Inadequate staff In a new report, ''Paying for People'', published this month, Oxfam estimates that $13.7 billion must be invested

AFP every year to appoint an addi- Making a living on the street: what difference can MDGs make to her life? tional 1 million teachers and 2.1 million health care work- Pharmaceutical plants Nairobi. ers urgently needed to break ''It should be a step-by-step approach. the cycle of poverty in Africa. Part of the African health ministers' dis- Each country has its own strategy. If you set ''Today, in too many of the world's cussions included a plan to set up pharma- a time frame, it might not work. For exam- poorest countries, health and education ceutical plants for producing life-prolong- ple, you cannot expect (strife-torn) coun- services are dependent on a handful of ing anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). Mtutu tries like Somalia, Zimbabwe and the workers struggling heroically to do their pointed out that ''the ministers for finance Democratic Republic of Congo to reach the jobs on pitiful wages and in appalling con- and industry were not part of the discussion. 15% target. It is not practical,'' she told IPS. ditions. Becoming a doctor, nurse or teacher To succeed, the health ministers need man- is like signing a contract with poverty,'' dates from their finance and industry coun- Oxfam's Elizabeth Stuart wrote in the terparts. report. ''If we are to achieve the MDGs, the ‘Today, in too many of the According to the report, ''Africa has key ministerial clusters need to meet in the world's poorest countries, 13% of the global population and 25% of next six to 12 months,'' Mtutu said. the global burden of disease but only 1.3% Some campaigners say that meeting the health and education of the global workforce.'' health MDGs cuts across other areas such as The report cites Tanzania as an exam- combating poverty, improving sanitation services are dependent ple. This southern African country produces and infrastructure. Eve Edete, policy officer 640 doctors, nurses and midwives each at Oxfam Kenya office, told IPS that the on a handful of workers year. But to reach the World Health 'MDGs' is just a label. It is a brand. struggling heroically to do Organisation's recommended staffing levels ''HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other dis- within 10 years, it would need to produce eases are really the issue. It is about systems their jobs on pitiful wages 3,500 such health workers each year. to deliver health care. This should be the Another example is Malawi where only starting point to meeting the MDGs,'' said and in appalling condi- nine percent of health facilities have ade- Edete. quate staff to provide basic health care. The Although governments have committed tions. Becoming a doctor, country loses around 100 nurses each year themselves to the MDGs and the Abuja tar- nurse or teacher is like ''who emigrate in search of a better wage'', get, some prefer to move at their own pace. according to the Oxfam report. Kenya's government, for example, says that it will commit 12% of its national budg- signing a contract with et to health by 2008, according to Ruth poverty.’ * Moyiga Nduru writes for the IPS from Charo of Kenya's Health Non-governmental Johannesburg. Organizations Network based in the capital

24 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Trade EPAs should be subjected to electoral test As the deadline for signing the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region looms in December, some have called for a referendum on the issue, writes *Nasseem Ackbarally

presently self-sufficient in chicken production. What will happen if EU chicken is imported here? Will it not affect the food security of the island? What will happen if we do not sign the EPAs? We should know," he pointed out. Both Subron and Mangar maintained that Mauritius will be a great loser if the EPA is signed and implemented.

Government approves However, the Mauritian government does not see the EPAs that way. The government expects the EPA arrangements to support its new economic trajectory and programme of reforms that will put the island on the path to sustainable development and The people’s verdict on EPAs global competitiveness. "Mauritius is committed to Here is a free trade agree- They will be the first to be women. Customs revenue will the EPA and to economic ment between rich and poor affected." decrease by 54 percent. reforms. But we need to ensure countries in which the for- Subron believes that the Eric Mangar from the that there is a balance between “mer is trying to impose a recip- EPAs will be detrimental to eco- Mouvement Autossuffisance what is given and what is rocal system of trade on the lat- nomic and social development, Alimentaire (MAA), a non-gov- received," Mauritius foreign ter, with major consequences peace and security, democracy ernmental organisation working and international trade minister for poor people.” This is the and regional integration among with local farmers, agreed with Madan Dulloo said. true picture of the economic ACP countries. Subron. The EU will benefit He proposed that adequate partnership agreements (EPAs), Explaining the conse- mostly from the EPAs, he told flexibilities and safeguard according to Resistance and quences for the population, IPS. measures be built into the EPA Alternative, a small Mauritian especially poor people, he said "I have a few questions but for Mauritius, following the political party. The EPAs are consumption would shift away I do not know who will reply to principle of special and differ- currently being negotiated from local producers to EU them. For example, Mauritius is ential treatment. between the European Union imports when the EPAs are fully (EU) and the African, Caribbean implemented. and Pacific (ACP) countries to ‘I have a few questions but I do not know who replace the existing preferential Consequences trade agreements. will reply to them. For example, Mauritius is Subron cited research Resistance and Alternative which predicted that local pro- presently self-sufficient in chicken production. has appealed to parliamentari- duction for the domestic market ans to put an end to the negotia- What will happen if EU chicken is imported here? will fall by 24 percent after the tions because, as spokesperson EPA is instituted. This will lead Ashok Subron said, "it is for the Will it not affect the food security of the island? to jobs being cut by 12 percent, people to decide such an agree- particularly in the manufactur- What will happen if we do not sign the EPAs? We ment by way of a referendum. ing sector, affecting mostly should know.’

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 25 Trade

Within the World Trade sary funding to develop trade- protective safeguard after 2015. "This shows that there is no Organisation system, special related infrastructure and boost On this issue, Mauritian Prime acquired right in this world," and differential treatment is supply capacity. Minister Navin Ramgoolam Ramgoolam commented, applicable to poor states in The current non-reciprocal warned that Mauritius will not adding that Mauritius has failed recognition of their lower devel- tariff preferences that Mauritius be able to compete with coun- to design a strategy to face the opmental status when compared enjoys under the Cotonou tries like Swaziland, Sudan and transition from a protected to an to industrialised states. agreement will be maintained Brazil when the EU cuts sugar open economy. The island state wants to until December 31 2007. The prices by the planned 36 percent Earlier this month in maintain the ACP-EU sugar EPA will kick in at the start of by 2009. Washington, finance minister protocol which gives it prefer- 2008. This is the reason why the Rama Sithanen said "besides the ential access to the EU market. island state, the biggest exporter fiscal revenue loss, we have also It is also seeking more flexible Phases of sugar from ACP countries, the painful social costs of rules of origin. wants this product to be includ- adjustment". In the textile and Rules of origin in trade The EU is proposing that it ed on the list of sensitive prod- clothing industry 30 percent of agreements determine where phases out the duty and quota ucts. "Lobbying is continuing people have lost their job in product inputs can be sourced regime on sugar from the ACP on this issue," agro-industry recent years, 85 percent of from. Sometimes these meas- countries by 2015. Until 2015, minister Arvin Boolell told IPS. whom are women. Thousands ures are so restrictive that devel- volume-based safeguards will But this promises to be a of others are facing the same oping states are unable to utilise be applied to the stronger sugar difficult task for Mauritian fate in the sugar industry. preferential access to the EU or producing ACP countries. negotiators after the EU's US markets. Furthermore, its proposal also announcement that the EU-ACP * Nasseem Ackbarally writes In negotiating the EPA, includes subjecting ACP sugar sugar protocol will end in for the IPS from Port Louis, Mauritius also wants the neces- access to the EU market to a September 2009. Mauritius. TWN-Africa & Oxfam put EU’s political will to test A joint Third World Network-Africa and Oxfam International report concludes that ACP countries can retain their current market access levels without Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union, writes Kwesi W. Obeng*. Network-Africa (TWN-Africa) open their economies even and Oxfam International report. wider for EU imports. These countries could Specifically, the EU proposals rather adopt the General System will remove tariffs on European of Preference plus (GSP+) to products imported into ACP access the European market markets, allow European com- while EPA negotiations contin- panies and investors to enter ue even beyond the December any sector of local economy and 2007 deadline. demand to be treated equal, if Launching the report in not better, than domestic enter- Accra, Ghana, Mr. Tetteh prises. Hormeku, head of programmes at TWN-Africa, said with some Impact minor tinkering and at an insignificant cost to Europe, the The EPAs will also prevent EU could apply GSP+ to contin- the ACP governments from ue current levels of market adopting policies to promote access for all ACP countries. and support domestic investors, Critically, GSP+ would also businesses and farmers. prevent disruption in trade. Over twenty years of unbridled EC President Barroso and Germany’s Merkel The EU proposed EPAs are liberalization coupled with tariff essentially free trade agree- reductions in most ACP frican, Caribbean and Agreements (EPAs) with the ments that Europe is seeking to economies has led to the col- Pacific (ACP) countries European Union to retain cur- sign with the ACP group of lapse of sectors such as poultry, do not have to sign rent access levels to the EU countries. Under the deal, ACP textiles, tomatoes, rice, fisheries EconomicA Partnership market, says a joint Third World countries would be required to and cotton.

26 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Trade

Contrary to EU/EC claims, ing a long-term alternative to least-developed countries the tries, GSP+ would provide the EPAs would deepen this the imminent expiration of the right to join GSP+ this year. duty-free access to the EU mar- anomaly by eliminating tariffs current market access prefer- Overall, this would have the ket to a degree that is compara- completely, for most agricultur- ences ACP countries enjoy in effect of ensuring that the ble to Cotonou. al and industrial goods, key for- the EU market, the Europeans majority of current ACP exports Significantly, the key eign exchange earners of ACP proposed the EPAs. But the EPA would continue to benefit from export sectors of horticulture, economies. in sum is a hardnosed free trade duty-free access into the fisheries and wood which are In addition to eliminating deal that will inevitably leave European market after Cotonou the sectors of greatest concern tariffs, which constitute a sub- these poor countries worst off if Preferences expires and in the to many ACP countries would stantial chunk of government ever signed in their current event that the EU fails to extend have duty-free access into the revenue, the EPAs will elimi- form. current preferences. EU market under GSP+. nate government discretion in Indeed, according to the GSP+ was originally Admission of all ACP relation to public policy. European Commission’s (EC) designed to replace the previous countries into the GSP+ in 2007 For example, in the areas of own Sustainable Impact preferential scheme (anti-nar- would thus provide exporters government procurement Assessment of EPAs on ACPs, cotics crops). But the European and investors in these vital (which refers to the markets cre- West Africa for example would Commission has however said it export sectors the certainty they ated by public expenditure), the lose at least a billion euros in would apply standard-GSP to require to continue exports. EPA will take away the right of trade. A quarter of Ghana’s ACP exports if the December This will invariably lighten the ACP governments to give pref- exports (240 million euros) for 2007 deadline slips by without huge pressure on EPA negotia- erence to sourcing local sup- example would face a tariff of an agreement on EPAs. The tors and enable ACP countries plies over European suppliers. 27 per cent against zero per cent GSP+ or ‘Special Incentive to continue negotiations beyond This effectively will shackle (0%). For La Cote d’Ivoire, it Arrangement for Sustainable 2007 with negligible interrup- ACP governments from pursu- rises to about 36 per cent of Development and Good tion of current trade. ing policies which will promote exports (700 million euros). In Governance’ scheme provides But GSP+ has some draw- domestic industry, suppliers and Central Africa, about 360 mil- preferential access that is sub- backs, the report admits. Key jobs. lion euros of exports would also stantially higher than standard limitations of GSP+ include a EPAs by their nature are be lost. GSP. The standard-GSP is in narrower scope of coverage and costly. However, the GSP+ is a The EC’s assessment also effect insufficient and would tighter rules of origin. Some cost free alternative as the found that EPAs would ‘acceler- prove counter to the develop- goods such as fresh oranges, the scheme does not entitle the EU ate the collapse of the modern ment needs and aspirations of report points out, may face to demand any extra liberalisa- West Africa manufacturing sec- ACP countries. higher tariffs than at present. tion of ACP economies. Again, tor’ and ‘further discourage the These weaknesses, Mr. GSP+ is both compatible with development of processing and GSP+ vs standard GSP Hormeku said, could be World Trade Organisation manufacturing capacity in ACP Again, the cost of switch- addressed if the EU mustered (WTO) rule and equivalent to countries in export-oriented and ing to standard GSP tariffs from the political will. current market access prefer- other industries’. Cotonou would be costly to As the EU tightens its grip ence scheme under Cotonou. ACP countries, the report states. on securing a deal in its favour According to Mr. Hormeku, Market access The standard GSP tariffs come December 2007, it who is also co-author of the The TWN-Africa Oxfam report, would also fall on a few but remains to be seen how force- report, with appropriate adjust- which examined Economic very sensitive export sectors. In fully ACP negotiators would ments the GSP+ could even pro- Community of West African Ghana and La Cote d’Ivoire push for the adoption of GSP- vide a long-term alternative to States (ECOWAS), the East and more than two-thirds of the plus to protect their policy space the contentious EPAs. Southern Africa (ESA) negotiat- costs of trade disruption under and populations the EU ing blocs and Papua New the standard GSP would fall on onslaught. Threats Guinea in the Pacific bloc said the fish, wood and horticulture Already, the EU has dis- The EU is threatening the that for these nations GSP+ sectors. missed a legitimate demand by 76-member ACP group, which would offer a level of market In Kenya, fish and horticul- West African governments, one is made up of some of the poor- access comparable to what they ture exporters would be hit of the six ACP negotiating est countries in the world, to currently enjoy. almost exclusively. The pattern blocs, for an extension of nego- sign up to free trade deals under ACP countries’ current is hardly any different for the tiations by three years, until the EPAs by the end of 2007. market access preferences to the Pacific, where tuna is one of the 2010, to enable them undertake These countries, mainly in EU market expire at the end of region’s greatest shared further studies regarding the Africa, risk significantly lower this year. resources. The region’s fledg- likely impact of the EPAs on access to the EU market if they EU’s adoption of the GSP+ ling canning and processing their economies. The EU insists fail to sign on to the EPAs. The would predictably afford ACP industry relies on tariff-free via a punishing timetable that EU insistence comes against a countries in particular a much access to the EU market. the first draft of the agreement backdrop of the fact that ACP needed respite to re-organise to The GSP+ scheme does not must be ready in July, and final domestic businesses, workers, negotiate for a better and fairer however cover sugar and agreement signed by end of this farmers and citizens have not EPA. bananas (these are exported year. been consulted about these But to make the transition, under the Commodity major changes underway. the report suggests EU grants all Protocols). But for all other cur- * Kwesi W. Obeng is Assistant Under the pretence of find- ACP countries which are not rent exports from these coun- Editor, African Agenda.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 27 Trade Serious threat to producers

The livelihood of small businesses is at stake as the European Union pressures the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement by end of December 2007 as this story from Cameroun depicts.

nana is a small-scale and reduced the volume imports from Europe. If, with prices; worsening of poverty, broiler breeder from imported. By so doing, the sell- 20 % customs duties, the particularly in rural areas, and Mbankomo, a small ing price of a kilogramme of importation of 22,154 tonnes worsening of inequalities both Olocality about 30 km from frozen chicken increased from has destroyed 110,000 jobs, in the urban and rural areas”. Yaounde, the capital of F CFA 900 to F CFA 1,700. what will the situation be with Yet, despite this unam- Cameroon. He has been in this Onana has resumed his breed- 0 % customs duty? Certainly it biguous warning, the business for 17 years. ing business and successfully will be more catastrophic! Cameroonian Ministers in However, for five years, manages four flocks of 1,000 Subsidized products from charge of negotiations between 1998 and 2004, his chickens a year. With this busi- Europe will kill all production (Ministers of Finance and breeding business was no ness, he has rediscovered an sectors in the country. Trade) insist on signing an longer profitable and he had to employment that provides him If such an agreement is agreement with the European abandon it, thus plunging his income to feed his family and signed between CEMAC and Union on 31 December 2007. family into indescribable educate his children. “I am the EU, the situation portrayed Besides, they are putting pres- poverty. “For all these years, I married with seven children; for Onana and his colleagues in sure on the other countries in was unable to feed my family, all my children have reached the poultry sector will be the the sub-region, who have educate my children, and even school-going age, but only four same for all sectors of the reservations because of the often treat them when they fell are in school, the other three country’s economy. This is enormous risks that weigh on ill. Besides, I lost one of my have had their education cut because the agreement will the lives of millions of people, daughters as I was unable to short through poverty which include all aspects: services, to conclude negotiations by the pay the amount demanded by hit us some years ago”. public procurement, agricultur- end of this year, with the doctors for her treatment …”, Like him, over 250,000 al and non-agricultural goods, excuse that if an agreement he recollects, suppressing a people have rediscovered etc. An EPA impact study on were not signed by 31 tear. For the record, it was the employment in the poultry sec- the agricultural sector of December 2007, there would unfair competition from the tor in Cameroon. CEMAC, undertaken by the be a legal vacuum in trade rela- massive importation of frozen Executive Secretariat of tions with the EU. Should it be chicken parts from Europe Onana in danger CEMAC concluded that: understood in this context that, which forced Onana to aban- “Whatever the method used to in place of the legal vacuum don his breeding business. The on-going negotiations offset the loss of fiscal rev- which could be negotiated Cameroon imported yearly on the Economic Partnership enue, … liberalization will before the end of the year, it is 22,154 tonnes of frozen chick- Agreement (EPA) between lead to a fall in the prices of preferable to sign an agreement en, valued at F CFA 10.5 bil- CEMAC (Central Africa commodities which will cause that would generate poverty? lion. Because of these imports, Economic and Monetary a general fall in the price … It is like saying that, for the more than 111,000 operators in Community) and the European index; an increase in cash crop government of Cameroon, only this sector, like Onana, had Union (EU) is a real threat to production (for export) to the the interests of others matter! stopped their business. At that the new-found prosperity of detriment of production for the time, frozen chicken was Onana and his family. This is local market; a fall in the pro- levied 23 % tax and customs because if the EPAs are signed duction of agro-industries duty for entry into Cameroon. on 31 December 2007, the which will not be able to cope * Culled and translated from For two years now, fol- government of Cameroon will with competition from import- the April 7, 2007 edition of lowing the ACDIC campaign, be compelled to remove the 46 ed food products; an overall L’Appel Citoyen published by the government has increased % taxes and customs duty as fall in household consumption, L’Association Citoyenne de taxes and customs duty on well as the quota restrictions as the fall in income is greater Defense des Interets Collectifs frozen chicken imports to 46 % imposed on frozen chicken than the fall in consumer of Cameroun, (www.acdic.net)

28 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Women

Proposed UN women's agency gains key ally A coalition of over 140 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and women's groups is gratified that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing public support for the creation of a new UN agency for women, writes *Thalif Deen. We believe [that] the public support of Wide Coherence", comprising heads of gov- tion of three existing UN entities - the UN the secretary-general is a very impor- ernment, former world political leaders and Development Fund for Women, the Office tant step in moving closer towards the senior government and UN officials. of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and “implementation of this new women's enti- On International Women's Day, which the UN Division for the Advancement of ty”, June Zeitlin, executive director of the was commemorated at the United Nations Women - under a single new UN agency to New York-based Women's Environment and and around the globe, the secretary-general be headed by an under-secretary-general, Development Organisation (WEDO) told said that such a new body should be able to the third highest ranking post in the world IPS. call on all of the UN system's resources in body. She said that the secretary-general the work to empower women and realise But its implementation will require the called on member states to take up this pro- gender equality worldwide. blessings of the 192-member General posal, as did women from around the world "I encourage member states to study the Assembly, which has not given any indica- who were in New York for the UN possibility of replacing several current tion of how it will respond. Commission on the Status of Women structures with one dynamic UN entity." Asked if she was confident that mem- (CSW), which concluded a two-week ses- ber states would support the proposal, sion. New architecture Zeitlin said that women who spoke to their The proposal for a new UN women's government representatives here at the agency was made last November by a 15- The proposal for the creation of a new United Nations will continue these discus- member "High-Level Panel on UN System- gender architecture includes the consolida- sions back at home in their nation's capitals.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 29 Women

"To date, we have heard of no opposi- Watch, Canadian Federation of University system, including gender main-streaming tion by member states to strengthening the Women, Centre for Women's Global within all UN policies and programmes." gender equality architecture," she added. Leadership, European Women's Lobby, The coalition also seeks "meaningful "However, we do understand that coun- African Centre for Democracy and Human and ongoing civil-society participation, par- tries have questions and want more infor- Rights Studies, International Federation of ticularly of women's groups, in the consid- mation on a number of issues, including Women's Lawyers and the World Federation eration and implementation of the (High- about how the new entity will operate, par- of UN Associations. Level) Panel's recommendations at the ticularly at the national level, and where the Charlotte Bunch of the Centre for national, regional and global levels."

Just give us the space, we are able new resources will come from." Women's Global Leadership said that the The letter says that structures and In a letter to the secretary-general, the letter signed by all of the NGOs was deliv- avenues for such participation should be coalition of over 140 NGOs said: "We call ered to the secretary-general on built into the gender equality architecture of upon UN member states and the secretary- International Women's Day. the United Nations at all levels to ensure general to take swift actions to initiate and "It is our hope that this will get the that women's voices, and especially those at support efforts to strengthen the architecture process moving again among govern- the grassroots, are heard and that women's for women's equality in the General ments," she told IPS. concerns are effectively addressed in sus- Assembly deliberations during its (current) Bunch pointed out that the coalition tained ways. 61st session," which ends in early was also successful in getting the issue dis- Zeitlin said that the three existing September. cussed at the General Assembly's special women's units have a total budget of about The coalition says that the upgrading of thematic session on gender, and with gov- $65 million, compared to $450 million for women's equality work within the UN sys- ernments around the CSW session. the UN Population Fund and about $2 bil- tem is long overdue. "It is imperative at this "While we do not know exactly what lion for the UN children's agency, UNICEF. critical juncture that member states and the will be the next stage in the process, the idea "These recommendations present the UN system take bold action - and provide is gaining momentum and has been widely best opportunity to reduce the gap between the leadership and resources required - to supported by NGOs at the CSW," she the rhetoric on gender equality at the United make these recommendations a reality," the added. Nations and the reality of women's lives," groups said. The letter sent to the secretary-general she added. also calls for a commitment "to significant She also pointed out that the panel had Support and sustained funding of the new women's recommended an initial target of some $200 entity and the gender equality and women's million for the proposed new women's The 140 NGOs, spanning all of the con- rights/empowerment work of the whole UN agency. tinents, included Asia Pacific Women's "We understand [that] this number was taken out (of the panel's report) because some panel members believed [that] it was "We call upon UN member states and the secretary-general to far below what was needed for the United take swift actions to initiate and support efforts to strengthen Nations to deliver on gender equality and women's empowerment." the architecture for women's equality in the General Assembly deliberations during its (current) 61st session," * Thalif Deen writes for the IPS from New York.

30 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Women Women stuck at the small-scale level Many women run enterprises of their own in Sub-Saharan Africa. All too often, however, they find it difficult to expand their business, generate more income and create additional employment, they are neither given full access to all financial services, nor provided with adequate professional advice, or supported by overall favourable regulatory environments, writes* Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Masai women with wares

frican women are not caught in a ply can neither be as successful as they smart economics". But Africa must not wait trap that would not allow them to deserve to be, nor have the economic for donors to become active. The onus is on move into business. impacts on employment and incomes they us, and civil society should exert pressure AAccording to a study published by the should have. We must therefore strengthen on governments to rise to the challenges. African Development Bank in 2004, the women's abilities to run and expand their Micro-lending is something that can continent's women own and operate many businesses. help. Access to such loans is very important, micro, small and medium enterprises. In particularly in rural areas. The work of the fact, female ownership of such businesses Smart economics Grameen Bank, BRAC and others in ranged from a low of 46 per cent in coun- Three distinct elements constitute the Bangladesh is providing wonderful exam- tries like Kenya and Malawi to as much as trap that keeps women entrepreneurs stuck ples for us. However, it is not enough to 84 per cent in Swaziland. So we need not at the small-scale level. First, there is a lack focus on micro-credit. There is a great num- waste time worrying about how to get ber of women whose businesses are too big African women into busi-ness, they are of access to finance. Second, women need already there. better advice and business services. Third, to have much use for micro loans. In princi- What we, however, need is to help national and international regulations often ple, they would be ready to expand and women escape another trap. Businesses run stand in the way of growth. The World Bank employ more staff, but they cannot do so for by women tend to be so small that they sim- is right in arguing that "gender equality is lack of funds.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 31 Women

Risk-adverse behaviour is typical of most African banks, and their stance makes financing investments difficult for most male entrepreneurs too. But for women, the challenge to provide some kind of security, for instance, is particularly daunting. More often than not, land is legally owned by male family members – and that is the kind of collateral most bankers want to see. Surely, there must also be other ways to leverage and guarantee resources to women. In Iran, women use beauti- ful Persian rugs as collateral. Gold, silver or jewellery in general are Lady in the market other options. Anything that can be given a paper value can, in principle, serve as a security in well. Too often, owners of small enterprises try, an attempt to protect the textile industry financial deals. We need to stimulate lack the capacity to systematically draft a actually ended up harming many women thought on these issues in Africa, we need business plan. Too often, they do not know working as fashion designers and producers. innovative approaches. how to do a cash-flow analysis in order to Nigeria simply banned the import of' all tex- In Nigeria, we have laid the base for a really understand how their busi-ness is tiles. Accordingly, some imports that these brighter future. We have gone through a doing. Obviously, they need competent women needed to produce the clothes they process of consolidation in the financial advice from professional consultants on were exporting elsewhere were banned too. sector. Instead of formerly 89 banks there such matters. These women brought the problem to gov- are now 25. Competition has become ernment’s attention, and we had to deal with tougher. Banks will have to move on from Standards it. merely trading assets to investing in produc- In particular, it is important that they This example shows that national poli- tive businesses if they want to thrive. In learn to think in terms of supply chains. It is cies matter -but so do international regimes. other words, the banks will have to become not enough to consider what women can Today, we are noticing that Chinese compa- more innovative, and that should make them produce and how they can do that. Market- nies are copying traditional Niger-ian tie- more in-terested in doing business with ing matters too, the products must be sold. It dye designs. Their products are flooding our women too. is one thing to grow flowers and quite markets at very low prices, increasingly However, we should not confine our- another thing to auction them in driving local competition out of business. selves to thinking only in terms of credit. Amsterdam. In Uganda, I saw an example These designs, however, are not patented. There is a need of other mechanisms to open where advisers, with very good results, So intellectual property from Nigeria is up funds for women as well. It would make accompany flower growers from the pro- being used now in a way that is detrimental sense to establish venture-capital funds for duction all the way through to marketing, to our economy, and that is not an accept- women's businesses. Donors, governments including assuring quality. able institutional setting – even if the per- and the private sector should pull together That approach could work out well in sons who do that kind of work in China hap- and cooperate on that matter. In a similar other sectors too, textiles and clothing, for pen to be women. sense, it would be worthwhile to have insur- in-stance. Once a company becomes part of ances cover relevant business risks. In other an internation-al supply chain, the chances * Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a fellow at the words, the entire range of financial services for it growing steadily and generating more Brookings Institution in Washington D C. must become available to women entrepre- income multiply. But for that to happen, Before, she was finance minister and then neurs if we want to see them rise to their full production must meet certain quality stan- foreign affairs minister of Nigeria. potential. dards. Female entrepreneurs need assistance However, financial bottlenecks are only to move up that ladder. This article culled from Third World one cate-gory of constraints that prevent Finally, regulations matter. National Network Features (June 2007), also women's businesses from expanding more policy, for instance, may block businesses appeared in Development and Cooperation, dynamically. They need other services as even if it is well intended. In Nigeria coun- Vol. 35, 2007.

32 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 International SecuritySecurity CouncilCouncil accusedaccused ofof oversteppingoverstepping boundsbounds The 130-member Group of 77, the largest single coalition of developing countries, has lashed out at the Security Council, accusing the UN's most powerful political body of violating the organisation's charter by planning an open debate on energy, security and climate, writes *Thalif Deen.

Security Council in session

he Security Council's primary expected to be reflected in a letter to and also infringes on their authority and responsibility is for the maintenance Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of Britain, compromises the rights of the general mem- of international peace and security as current president of the 15-member bership of the United Nations. Tset out in the UN Charter, according to the Council. The decision to send a letter to G77. Parry Jones was taken at a closed-door Beyond mandate All other issues, including those relat- meeting of the G77. ing to economic and social development, The letter is expected to say that the Ambassador Munir Akram, current are assigned by the Charter to the Economic ever-increasing encroachment by the G77 chair and permanent representative of and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Security Council on the roles and responsi- Pakistan to the United Nations, said that General Assembly. bilities of other principal organs of the some of the G77 members feel that the The G77's strong reaction to the United Nations represents a distortion of the Security Council has gone beyond its man- upcoming Security Council meeting is principles and purposes of the UN Charter, date. He said that issues such as nuclear

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 33 International

Security Council," rotating non-permanent members of the he added. same Council. At a press conference, Parry Jones Challenge told reporters that the very fact of Akram said that individual members holding a meeting have the full right to speak in their national on climate change capacities. and highlighting it "Some of them have said they will was important. speak at the Security Council meeting while The meeting is others have said they will not speak because to be chaired by they are challenging the authority of the British Foreign Council to take up this issue," he told IPS. Secretary Margaret The issues of energy and climate Beckett, but there change, which will be discussed at the meet- are no plans either ing, are considered vital for sustainable to issue a presiden- development. tial statement or But the World Summit on Sustainable adopt a resolution Development, which took place in on climate change, Johannesburg in September 2002, assigned the British envoy responsibilities in the field of sustainable said. development to the General Assembly, Meanwhile, the ECOSOC, the Commission on Sustainable 117-member Non- Development, the UN Environment Aligned Movement Programme, the UN Framework (NAM) has also Convention on Climate Change and the criticised the British Kyoto Protocol. proposal to hold a UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon meeting on climate Conflict change. "The concept of the Security Council, Ambassador Ileana Nunez Mordoche But "no role was envisaged for the as I read the UN Charter, is that the Council of Cuba, current NAM chair, has expressed Security Council," Akram said. An Asian comes into action when there are actual NAM's concerns "regarding the continued diplomat, whose country is a member of the threats to peace, and breaches of the peace," and increased encroachment by the Security G77, told IPS that intuitively, there would Ambassador Akram told IPS. Council on the functions and powers of the seem to be a nexus between environmental On earlier occasions, the Security General Assembly and the Economic and degradation brought about by climate Council had also "encroached" into Social Council and other organs through change and the advent of conflict. ECOSOC and General Assembly territory addressing issues which traditionally fall This is clear to anyone who thinks that by holding meetings on gender rights, within the competence of the latter organs." conflict is often about securing resources, HIV/AIDS, terrorism and UN procurement China, which is a veto-wielding perma- for example, scarce water resources. But, and peacekeeping. nent member of the Security Council, is a the problem that one has in making an intel- Last year, the Group of 77 under the key member of the Group of 77, along with lectual argument - as to why the Security chairmanship of South Africa protested the Ghana, Indonesia, the Republic of Congo, Council should discuss this - is that one can- debate on UN procurement. But US Panama, Peru, Qatar and South Africa - all not seem to point conclusively to any one Ambassador John Bolton, then president of conflict as being an example, he said. the Security Council, refused to remove the "Why is it a threat to international item from the agenda and continued with peace and security?" he asked. There seems the one-day discussion despite protests from ‘Law-making powers, to be no conclusive study that makes the the G77. argument based on scientific research or Akram said that some of these thematic according to my exhaustive data. issues are not threats to peace or breaches of "This has given rise to the perception the peace. But, of course, it is a matter of interpretation of the that this debate is being held either simply interpretation. Terrorism may be a threat to for the sake of having a debate or just to peace, he argued, but the Security Council is charter, are clearly publicize the issue," he added. not dealing with an actual situation when it Otherwise, Britain should have intro- is involved in setting norms and creating assigned to the General duced this as a formal agenda item for the international laws. Security Council to discuss. The fact that Assembly, not to the they are not planning follow-up meetings General Assembly Security Council.’ reaffirms this perception, he noted. "Law-making powers, according to my interpretation of the charter, are clearly * Thalif Deen writes for the IPS from New assigned to the General Assembly, not to the York.

34 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Rights

'PRIVATISATION' VIOLATES RIGHT TO HEALTH, SAY ACTIVISTS

Hiring a private firm to manage the drinking water system in Nepal's capital violates the right to health guaranteed in the country's interim constitution, activists are set to argue before the Supreme Court, writes *Marty Logan. AFP Water is life: figthing for his life

our groups are opposing water to the capital. It is led by also contend that the manage- Trent a "private sector partici- a plan to break up the the Asian Development Bank ment contract should have been pant". That firm was hired Nepal Water Supply (AsDB). awarded to a local company and because its expertise is unavail- CorporationF (NWSC) in the "Health is a fundamental that NWSC should have been able in Nepal, adds the Bank. Kathmandu Valley and disperse right. When you say health, that given a real chance to reform. its work and assets among three includes water," says Gopal AsDB counters that its plan Poor supply new agencies, one of which will Siwakoti 'Chintan', legal advisor will devolve responsibility for Water supply in the hire the British firm Severn at Water and Energy Users' supplying drinking water and Kathmandu Valley, home to Trent to manage water delivery Federation-Nepal WAFED). managing wastewater to Nepal's close to two million people, is in the Valley's five municipali- "What is the guarantee that municipalities, where it notoriously poor. Roughly 30- ties for six years. Severn Trent will continue the belongs, and that 40% of people are not connect- The scheme, which has supply in a free and affordable the NWSC is not being priva- ed to the NWSC system, been approved by Nepal's new manner?" he added in an inter- tised because 80% of the shares according to Chintan, relying on legislature, is a condition tied to view. in the new utility operator will public water taps, which are building the huge Melamchi The organisations that be held by the central and local unreliable, and springs and project that will divert river launched the court challenge governments, making Severn other surface water sources.

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 35 Rights

Many homeowners who - would approve an increase. have connections supplement "If the operator wants the the piped supply by tapping tariff raised they will have to ‘What is certain is that those using groundwater, which supplies make a request to the manage- 60-70% of the Valley's demand ment board, which will make a public taps will have to start paying a during the dry season. In 2004, request to the Tariff Fixation the NWSC was supplying only Board, which is independent," monthly tariff, and that they will not 145 million litres a day to meet said Krishna Prasad Acharya, a demand of 294 million litres, joint secretary at the Ministry of benefit from what the bank calls the according to the corporation. Physical Planning and Works. "generously subsidised" first 10,000 litres Nor is the piped water "It's not like AsDB has rec- potable in many areas. One-half ommended a 50% raise so it has of water. Tap users will pay 70% of of households tested in the to go up by 50%. It could be Valley were receiving water that done like that in the past but what homeowners pay for their non- contained no chlorine, the sim- now you'll have to go step-by- plest method for disinfecting step," Acharya told IPS. subsidised water, at today's rates 10.5 water, according to a study done What is certain is that those rupees for each 1,000 litres.’ by the government and NGOs in using public taps will have to August 2006. start paying a monthly tariff, One of the first tasks for and that they will not benefit Severn Trent will be installing from what the bank calls the first year after a meter is directives and a minister sat on water meters where none now "generously subsidised" first installed will be free and it will the board." exist, says AsDB Senior Urban 10,000 litres of water. Tap users be piped for half-price in the "You can do things when Development Specialist Keiichi will pay 70% of what home- second year, added Basnyat. you've been given responsibility Tamaki. That includes at the owners pay for their non-sub- 'Chintan' asks why such but responsibility must be more than 1,000 public taps sidised water, at today's rates improvements could not be given," added the founder of the where locals now often collect 10.5 rupees for each 1,000 made by the existing NWSC Nepal Water Conservation water for free. litres. working with Severn Trent. Foundation. NWSC currently charges By 2008 that would rise to Alternatively, "Hand the operat- In an email, a Severn Trent those with meters 50 rupees almost 14 rupees, slightly more ing system to the municipalities employee told IPS that he could ($0.71) for the first 10,000 litres than a packet of milk in so they own the board, the man- not discuss the management of water and 15 rupees for every Kathmandu, according to agement and the profit. Then contract now. Media here have 1,000 litres above that. That Tamaki's projected rate hike. they will have the incentive" to highlighted the UK firm's recent base rate will remain unchanged "In our visits and surveys provide quality service, he sug- overcharging of customers, until delivery is improved, says (to lower income areas) a fami- gests. which led to a probe by utility AsDB, but the charge for water ly is using 15-30 litres a day for "In all legal, political and regulator Owfat. supplied beyond 10,000 litres drinking and cooking. That's technical terms, (the plan) is a It found, "Severn Trent needs to increase by 50% to 450-900 litres a month," says privatisation," he adds. A public Water had provided regulatory finance operating costs, capital Divas B Basnyat at the institution will be de-authorised data that was either deliberately investment and professional Melamchi project's Low Income and all its wealth and functions miscalculated or poorly sup- management of the new compa- Consumer Support Unit. "They transferred to a Nepali private ported". The firm must refund ny. laugh when we tell them how company and ultimately to customers 42 million pounds much that will cost because Severn Trent." sterling ($82.2 million) by Increase they'd rather pay than get up According to Tamaki, "A 2009. early in the morning to stand in number of (reform) models The investigation into The tariff rose 15% in line for water," he added. were tried by the World Bank Severn Trent's "customer serv- September 2004 and will "like- from the late 1970s to the early ice performance failures is still ly" increase once this year and 2000s and failed...in the eyes of continuing", Peter Mandich again in 2008, Tamaki said in an Other sources the donor community, the from Ofwat's press office told interview. "People are already At the same time, the Unit NWSC is a non-starter." IPS via email. paying much more than expect- has also found that low-income The AsDB is unconcerned, ed in the form of tankers (to people now use other water says Tamaki. "Disputes between deliver water), diseases and bot- sources, like spring water, for No opportunity operators and regulators are not tled water. When you add up washing and bathing, but would Water expert Ajaya Dixit uncommon at all...Severn Trent these 'coping costs', the increase prefer to use piped water. If they disagrees. "It was never given was very cooperative in the first is easily affordable," he added. were to start doing that, then an opportunity to reform," he instance - they realised (the mis- The Nepal Government their monthly bills would rise. told IPS. "Its creation (as a calculation) themselves and says it is too soon to predict if The Unit is planning to board to usher in a World Bank reported it." the review board that will be rehabilitate most of the public water supply project) was great- created from splitting the taps in the Valley. The work will ly flawed. It ended up basically NWSC's Valley business into be free but the community will becoming a procurement *Marty Logan writes for the IPS three - including the utility have to set up a users' group to agency. The law said it had to from Kathmandu operator and management board manage the water. Water in the follow central government

36 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 Society REMEMBER BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH By Kwao Tordzro

t was Sunday and as usual, the crowd party or belonged to the opposition. improve the livelihood of his own peo- at Prodigal Spot was larger than usual. “What is so unheard of about an ple?” award from the queen?” Two Sure “If he never did anything for a people, I The bar consisted of a large, blue demanded. “Tell me. We have got our own why should they vote for him another four kiosk, fronted by a wide, leafy neem tree. Order of the Volta, don’t we? What’s the years?” On Sunday, even people who owned difference?” “Misguided voters!” Two Sure shout- radios preferred to listen to football com- A wiry old specimen, obviously the ed, stretching his neck combatively. mentary at the bar where the arguments, worse for wear, got up from his chair. “Fools!” he concluded. jubilation and taunting was loud and fes- “Always against,” he said, pointing a “The misguided fools seem to be in tive. Besides, it was the end of the month, shaking finger at Two Sure. the majority in this country!” Prof when most people had received their pay. “Always against.” said another man in laughed. Among the gathering were some of the support. It was Prof. the mason who had “With you gracing their ranks, Prof.” more regular patrons, people who were more facts than anybody else. He bought He pronounced the ‘Prof’ with a sneering likely to be found there any day, no matter newspapers regularly and his information emphasis. the hour. was always fresh. He was fond of big Just then, Concoction entered. He was There was Two Sure the lottery agent, words which raised him in the eyes of the accompanied by a stranger whose arrival as usual making calculations on his lottery others especially as they did not under- gave the gathering a pause. He was a tall, sheet. stand them. “Hit that point again. Tell muscular man with a mane of lustrous There was Veteran, a returnee from them.” dreadlocks. the recent conflict in Liberia. Even though Invigorated, the thin man said, “This “This is my friend Braxton Cudjoe,” that conflict had ended long ago, Veteran government has received more foreign said Concoction, from Jamaica.” had a way of relating stories as if he had heads of state than any other government “May I?” said the new arrival in a returned just the previous day. “Liberia since we attained independence.” He tried deep baritone, indicating an empty chair. will never know peace,” he used to say to get up but his state of inebriation made “Feel free,” said Veteran. with incontestable certainty. him succumb back into his chair. “Here,” said Two Sure, “we’re all Akos the owner of the bar was herself “It’s true,” said another man. It was prodigals.” no less loquacious than her patrons. She Tetteh Couple, a policeman. The ‘couple’ “Go deh,” said Braxton Cudjoe. was an inquisitive woman who involved in his name was a vulgarization of the “Rastafari!” shouted Veteran. One herself in all the private affairs of her cus- word ‘corporal.’ “And it has received more thing about Veteran was that he was the tomers. Often, in the course of pouring a external loans than any other govern- local guru on all things Jamaican especial- drink for a waiting customer, she would ment.” ly their music and their patois. suddenly stop, bottle in mid air, staring “You mean your party has plunged us “Forgive me for asking,” said Akos. intently at the speaker until the buyer into more indebtedness than any other ”No sweat,” said the Rastaman. would remind her of her duty. “Sorry, how party.” much did you say?” she would then ask “Even a debtor must eat!” Tetteh ”Why, if you are from Jamaica, are apologetically. Couple shouted. He had shouted so much you called Cudjoe?” Akos asked. The most conspicuous absence this his voice was now hoarse. “After all we’re Braxton Cudjoe cleared his throat. Sunday was that of Concoction, so-named going to pay back.” But before he could speak, Veteran because of his habit of drinking an impos- “It is our regular payment of debts got up. With an open palm he signaled sibly outlandish combination of drinks. that has made it impossible for us to devel- Braxton Cudjoe to hold his peace. “When For all that, he commanded a lot of respect op,” Two Sure informed him. we talk about the true liberators of because working at the National Art “You are simply stubborn,” said Prof. Jamaica, we are talking about Kojo, Tachie Center where he sold artifacts he had a What do you say about the Queen herself and Kwao. True or false?” range of foreign contacts and was often awarding the president the Order of the “Hey, man” growled Braxton Cudjoe, visited by foreign tourists who brought a British Empire?” “where did you learn that?” welcome air of novelty to Prodigal Spot. “You know what I find so pathetic “You are in Kwame Nkrumah’s The match had not yet started and a about the whole of your arguments?” Ghana.” Veteran informed him. Cudjoe furious argument was raging. It was about asked Veteran. “First of all, there is no twirled his locks in the air several times. the president’s recent award of the Order British Empire to even talk about an award When he finally brought himself under of the British Empire. The contending fac- in its name. And then all the people who control, he said to Akos, “Madam could tions were divided, almost strictly accord- seem to admire your president so much are you please give us all a bottle of beer ing to whether they supported the ruling foreigners. What has he ever done to each.”

AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 37 Society

Soon they were all drinking happily gigging superciliously. away. Under the instruction of Veteran, Finally, a small Akos had put on reggae music. smile at the corner of his Two gentlemen walked in. They lips, the shorter man said, looked like twins, except that one wore “I can summarize it for spectacles and was taller than his compan- you. This is an article ion. From their dressing it was clear they about a speech given by a were returning from church. whole professor. The The shorter of the two who did not professor spoke about wear spectacles, had a clean-shaven head. how the president has He had a regal bearing. He raised his palm won the respect of in general greeting to the gathering. American and European Snapping his fingers, he said to Akos, investors; how he has got “Two Stars.” the country back into the Akos served them with deference, good books of the IMF, seating them in the shadiest corner under the World Bank and other the tree. western financial institu- Bald Head lifted one end of his cloth, tions; how he is the most revealing a pair of baggy shorts. From this important African leader he took out a newspaper and handed it to today, President of the his companion “It’s on page two,” he said. African Union. Above all The other settled back comfortably he has won the much and proceeded to read. Throughout the coveted Order of the reading there was a smile of contentment British Empire. on his face. Braxton rose up to When Bob Marley’s War started play- his full height. Gesturing toward the beer “So you agree that it is an award given ing, several of the regular customers, led drinkers, he asked very politely, “What do only to great men.” by Veteran, joined in. you think of that?” “Benjamin Zephaniah displayed his Until the philosophy which holds “The learned professor knew what he greatness by rejecting it.’ one race superior was talking about,” said the shorter man. After he recovered from his shock at And another inferior A professor of economics, no less,” this revelation, the shorter man scoffed, Is finally and permanently Spectacles concurred. “No wonder. A marijuana-smoking revolu- discredited and abandoned “A shameless Uncle Tom,” Two Sure tionary!” He loaded the word ‘revolution- Until the colour of a man’s skin is of spat out. ary’ with as much derision as he could. no more significance than the “African boot lickers” “I don’t know about that,” said colour of his eyes, “A damnable lot!” shouted Veteran. Braxton Cudjoe. Zephaniah’s explanation Until the basic human rights are Now Spectacles, turning to face is instructive and I think “your president equally guaranteed to all without Braxton Cudjoe, said, “What is your own would do well to take a leaf out of regard to race opinion?” Zephaniah’s book. You know, he explained Everywhere is war Braxton Cudjoe faced the two square- that several people have rejected that Me say war! ly. He spread his fingers wide. He put them award without making a public issue of it The bespectacled man pushed his through his locks and pushed the locks but he had to go public for a good reason. glasses down his nose, his upper lip curled back, “Have you two heard about He is well known for his stand against up in disdain. Crooking his thumb in the Zephaniah Benjamin?” imperialism view, of which the British direction of the singers, he said in a whis- Veteran allowed them enough time to crown and the Order of the British Empire per to his companion, “just look at that, reveal their ignorance before he said, “The are symbols. To accept that award would Prince.” Then he put a thumb and forefin- Rastafarian poet?” have been a negation of all that he stands ger together and put them at the corner of “Exactly!” Braxton Cudjoe exclaimed for.” his lips as if to say ‘A bunch of ganja in admiration. “Yesterday, I saw a very huge bill- smokers. Veteran beamed in satisfaction. board prominently saying, ‘Welcome, Veteran saw it all. He signaled Akos to Clearly, the two beer drinkers had been cut President, from your historic trip to the stop the music. down to size. UK.” It is enough to make anybody of The bar became ominously quiet. ”I bet his poetry is all about the pleas- African descent weep.” Veteran stood up. Pointing a finger at ures of ganja smoking,” Spectacles said, a The shorter man lost all his self con- the two beer drinkers, he said, “What is it crooked smile on his face. trol. “Who are you a foreigner to…to…” you are reading that gives you the right to “The Queen would hardly award him “Cast aspersions,’ said Tetteh Couple help- cast aspersions on our character?” the OBE for that,” said Braxton Cudjoe, fully.” “Aspersions?” asked the bespectacled looking steadily at him. “What work do you do?” one, clearly shaken by the fact that a man “She did?” “I’m a professor of African history in like that could use such expressions. “Yes, she did.” Kingston University.” “Aspersions,” cried the others who were “And how do you rate this man, what The whole gathering was incredulous. hearing the word for the first time. “Yes, do you call him?” With dreadlocks? They seemed to be won- aspersions! Casting aspersions!” “Benjamin Zephaniah.” dering. Even his friend Concoction had not All the while, Prof and his group were “A great man indeed!” known this.

38 AFRICAN AGENDA VOL.10 NO.2 SUBSCRIPTION FORM

Annual Subscription Rates (12 issues) Airmail Surface mail

Developed countries (Institutions) US$60 US$45 Developed countries (Individuals) US$45 US$30

Third World individuals & groups US$35 US$20

For India subscribers: Special rates Rs500(surface airmail). (For address, please see below). SUBSCRIBERS IN INDIA: Payments and enquiries can be made to: the Other For Malaysia subscribers: Special rates at RM35 per year or RM65 for 2 years India Bookstore, Above Mopusa Clinic, Mapusa 403 (Please send cheques/postal order to Third World Network). 507, Goa, India.

AUSTRALIA, BRUNEI, PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, THAILAND, UK, USA: NAME:……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….………………….... You can pay by credit card or cheque/bank draft/ international money order in own currency, US$ or Euro. If paying in own currency or Euro, please ADDRESS:……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….…………… calculate equivalent of US$ rate. If paying in US$, please ensure that the agent bank is located in USA.

……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….……………………….………...... ALL OTHER COUNTRIES: Credit card or cheque/bank draft/ international CITY:…………………...... ……. POSTCODE:………...... …..…. COUNTRY:…………...... …...... …………. money order in US$ or Euro. If paying in Euro, please calculate equivalent of US$ rate. I would like to subscribe by AIR/SURFACE MAIL and If paying in US$, please ensure that the agent bank is located in USA. I enclose the amount of………………………...... CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Please charge the amount of …………………...... ……. to my credit card VISA/MASTER CARD/AMERICAN EXPRESS.

American Express MasterCard Visa Please send payment/enquires to: THE WORLD NETWORK Account No. 121-S JALAN UTAMA 10450 PENANG MALAYSIA

Email: [email protected] .my Signature:…………………...... ……. Expiry Date:………………...... ………. Website:http://www.twnside.org.sg Fireworks marking Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary in Accra.