Sidi $ George:
I haven't met Anver Versi yet, but some time ago, when he was the deputy
editor of the UK-based New African magazine, under the then editor-in-chief
Alan Rake, he and I had a few telephone conversations. For the record, Anver
is a Kenyan of foreign descent, probably Asian. He is one of the most
outstanding journalists to have come out of Africa since the early 1970s.
Anver cut his teeth in journalism with the then ground-breaking Drum
magazine, spanning years of publication in East and Southern Africa. Even in
West.

Anver is also an essayist with many essays to his credit. A book reviewer
and arts and culture critic, Anver has written tons of articles on Africa's
writers and novelists;he also has projected, times without number, Africa's
cultural and natural beauty in spanking glitzy photography.

When he was moved from the New African to its sisiter publication African
Business in the early 1990s, I was shocked to the hilt. I wrote to the
editor and lamented over his decision. I thought Anver was a good political
writer and critic, who should rather stay with New African, a magazine with
a political stance, than African Business, whose domain was business and
finance. The editor Alan Rake encouraged me to continue my readership with
Anver as the new editor of African Business. Of course I did. But since 1996
when I left The Gambia, I have lost contact with African Business. Perhaps
Anver is still its editor.

And perhaps, his best essay was his call for "one-party democracy" in
Africa.  He wrote this in a debate with his then assistant editor Baffour
Ankomah(now New African's editor-in-chief), who instead argued for
"multiparty democracy." Anver's line of thinking was unpopular in those days
given the spate of calls for multipartyism especially in Francophone Africa.
But he thought having countless parties like 300 in the then Zairea under
Mobutu and the on and off prime minister Etienne Tshikedi, would only
further polarize Africa along tribal lines and foment ethnic tensions. I
didn't fully agree with his arguments, but truth be said, Anver made
sparkling analyses.

I write this much about him because he is one of the best journalists from
Africa. He radiates brilliance and incisiveness unrivalled by many in the
business. He and his fellow compatriot Phillip Ochieng were my favourites
from East Africa.

Cherno Baba Jallow
Detroit, MI



Mr Versi's nationality but what I do know is he
>is
>an editor to some notable British Press, which one, I don't know. He
>joined this debate with other contributors include Milan Veseley
>writing from the United States, Djibril Diallo, Director of
>Communications, United Nations development Programme (UNDP) and Tom
>Nevin from South Africa.
>
>Judging by the content of his character, if I may quote Dr MLK, I find
>him quite credible and well versed. My summation to this europhoric
>Africa dilemmn is that , with time things will be better, and as
>gloomy as it may look to many pessimists, Rome wasn't built in a day,
>and Africa is on the crossroads of resurrection.
>
>I do concur with you that we must not believe everything we read and
>should always question the knowledge, because if we Africans are in
>denial our problems will always continue to haunt us.
>
>My guess is Anver Versi is a Western. As for Djibril Diallo, he is an
>African and I think he is just as credible,but whether he should be
>taken seriously ,is left to his critics. I ,however,find him just as
>reassuring as Mr Versi. In either case, one must not judge the
>book my it's cover, Rule Numero Uno!
>
>HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM DJIBRIL DIALLO HIMSELF:
>               -------------------------------------------
>                    ON: <Africa’s unsung successes>
>               -------------------------------------------
>
>The June 17 Algiers agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea closed a
>very sad chapter in the African story by bringing to an end one of the
>most unnecessary wars to be fought on the continent. After shooting at
>each other for two years and destabilizing two of Africa’s most
>promising economies, the two countries have decided that it is time to
>call it quits. This is good news for Africa.
>
>But positive stories like this do not make a major part of the daily
>African news menu. Rather, newspapers and television screens are
>routinely filled with stories of conflict, destitution and despair in
>Africa. Stories of war in the Congo, political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire
>and Zimbabwe, or civil war in Sierra Leone are more the order of the
>day.
>
>Not unexpectedly, an external audience fed on this menu, soon begins
>to toe an all too familiar line - hand-wringing. There is the
>temptation to see Africa as a lost cause and to take the easy way out
>and write off the continent.
>
>But while these stories are generally true, they tell a greatly
>exaggerated story of Africa’s problems. The continent’s challenges are
>as diverse as they are complex and as such, any response to them must
>take into account this complexity. A simplistic answer just will not
>do. Despite suffering some very harsh realities, the fact remains that a
>real platform for sustained economic and political growth exist on
>the continent.
>
>The media reports give great credence to the many conflicts in Africa
>and the extensive challenge they pose to the continent. But they fail
>to add that all these clashes, except for the Eritrea/Ethiopia war,
>have tended to involve relatively small numbers of lightly armed
>troops, many of them irregulars. Moreover, most of the fighting has
>had to do with limited economic goals such as securing rich mineral
>concessions, an indication of the link between the wars and such
>broader issues as lack of accountable, transparent institutional
>structures essential for a stable government and a functioning
>economy.
>
>All that one needs to do is to look around to see how much about
>Africa is left unreported. For every story of backwardness, there is a
>string of success stories. Take the case of Senegal. Consistent
>implementations of the democratic ideal since independence has
>established that country as one of the most politically stable. The
>latest peaceful transfer of power from President Abdou Diouf to his
>successor, President Abdoulaye Wade, is only the continuation of a
>tradition that has made Senegal a unique success story. Elsewhere, for
>example in Nigeria and South Africa, the emergence of accountable
>democratic governments after years of repressive rule is leading to a
>political and economic revival likely to give Africa a clout in the
>new Millennium that it has never had in the past.
>
>Mozambique a proud example
>
>Uganda and Rwanda, despite their recent adventure in the Congo,
>provide evidence of how nations can overcome devastating catastrophes
>like the Idi Amin and Milton Obote dictatorships in Uganda and the
>1994 genocide in Rwanda.
>
>In Mozambique, well-thought out policies backed with support from the
>international community have seen that country move from being the
>war-ravaged destitute of the early 1990s to one of today’s  fastest
>growing economies. To its credit, Mozambique has held two democratic
>elections and has enjoyed economic growth of 10% or more in recent
>years. The devastating flood could mean that growth may slow down this
>year. But even then, it is expected to reach 5%. A comprehensive
>reconstruction plan drawn up by the government, and for which
>international donors have pledged full support, is expected to help
>the country return to full growth..
>
>These are just a few of the stories of triumph that abound all over
>Africa. They exist at every level - regional, national, state
>and local. The point is that through accountability at the ballot box,
>policy consistency, the rule of law and sustained effort to attract
>private capital, many African countries are saying in a clear voice
>that they no longer want to be part of the familiar images that have
>been used to portray the continent. They are saying to the world that
>they have the ability to make Africa a land where equal opportunities
>and access reign.
>
>The challenge before the international community is to support this
>new found resolve by targeting development support and helping
>countries to build up their capacities in the form of participatory
>societies that ensure equitable access to services such as education,
>health-care and all aspects of the economy for all citizens.
>
>The solution, of course, must take into account the need for urgent
>and concerted action against the continent’s debt burden as well as an
>increase in the level of development assistance going to Africa.
>
>The industrial countries must also open up their markets to goods such
>as textiles and agriculture products in which Africa has comparative
>advantage.
>
>Africa’s challenges may be vast. But with political and economic
>stability and good governance in place, the stage is set for
>sustainable development.
>
>The international community has a responsibility to ensure that Africa
>remains relevant in the coming years by giving full support and
>commitment to the efforts of Africans.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>By Djibril Diallo, Director, Communications Office, United Nations
>Development Programme, New York.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>>From: sidi sanneh <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Fwd: Praise Africa, dont bury it
>>Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 02:07:45 GMT
>>
>>George,
>>I don't know the nationality of Anver Versi but it matters. If he/she is a
>>westerner, the chances are that his/her message will be accepted and given
>>credibility. However, if he is African or a Third Worlder, I am afraid
>>that
>>he/she will not be taken seriously. Most Africans in the development field
>>have been saying the same thing for years without much success. I have had
>>several exchanges on a private basis with some members of the L on this
>>topic and I hope that some of us Africans will realise sooner, I hope,
>>rather than later, that the African condition is reversable. Thank you for
>>the posting.
>>  Sidi Sanneh
>>
>>
>>>From: 1Cool Dude <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>>><[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: Fwd: Praise Africa, dont bury it
>>>Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 01:30:06 GMT
>>>
>>>Africans are justifiably angry over the blanket slandering of their
>>>continent. Over the last few months, Africa has been pilloried by the
>>>western press over events in Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone, and the whole
>>>of Africa has been termed a ‘basket case’, a ‘hopeless continent’.
>>>
>>>This loaded reporting is not simply an unacceptable blow to an
>>>African’s pride and self-esteem, it threatens to wreck African
>>>economies. Who would want to invest in a hopeless continent? Who will
>>>spend
>>>holidays in a basket case Africa?
>>>
>>>But even if others are not, let us be rational. Is there any
>>>justification
>>>to these claims? Let us examine the facts.
>>>
>>>There are 53 states in Africa which is the second greatest land mass
>>>on earth. Sudan alone is larger than the whole of Western Europe; the
>>>DRC is larger than all the European member states combined. If you
>>>could place all European, North American and Latin American states
>>>into Africa, you would still have room to fit the Gulf states.
>>>
>>>If Europe has problems dealing with its minuscule states, imagine the
>>>challenge that governing countries the size of Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan,
>>>the DRC, South Africa poses. If Europe has still come to terms with
>>>its ethnic diversity - despite two world wars in the last century -
>>>imagine the challenges facing leaders of a continent which has a far
>>>greater ethnic diversity in one country, Nigeria, than all of Europe,
>>>North America, South America, the Middle East and some Asian countries
>>>put together.
>>>
>>>If Europe still has economic and employment problems after three
>>>centuries of the colonial era,industrialisation, and trade monopolies,
>>>image the task facing Africa which at independence had practically no
>>>industries, few schools, the worst of possible terms in overseas
>>>trade, and a population that had no opportunity to accumulate
>>>meaningful capital.
>>>
>>>Add to this a burden of debt for loans which many countries were
>>>forced to takeout, the structural adjustment programmes which the IMF
>>>now admits led to increased poverty, and the destructive impact of the
>>>Cold War whose legacy is still being felt in the on-going conflicts in
>>>Angola, Sudan and the DRC.
>>>
>>>Then look at the all the problems that confronted African states at
>>>independence in the 1960s and compare them to the problems Western and
>>>even East European states faced at the same time, you would be
>>>forgiven for thinking that Africa had no chance. It would be like
>>>asking the driver of a beaten-up taxi to enter a Grand Prix contest
>>>against a million pound state-of-the-art Ferrari. No contest
>>>
>>>Yet, incredibly, a surprising number of African states have and are
>>>succeeding against the odds. They may not be in a position to
>>>challenge for the Grand Prix, but the cars they have concocted with
>>>their own means are still on the circuit and registering ever faster
>>>times.
>>>
>>>Botswana and Tunisia have recorded the fastest growth rates in the
>>>world this year. Africa, according to the African Development Bank,
>>>will grow by between 4% and 5% this year. This figure is greater than
>>>for any other region of the world.
>>>
>>>The vast majority of African countries now have democratically elected
>>>governments. African stock markets, despite their modest size, were
>>>the most profitable last year. The return on investment is higher
>>>in Africa than anywhere else in the world.
>>>
>>>Is this the profile of a basket case continent?
>>>
>>>But there is more. Even taking into account African countries in the
>>>slow lane, never has so much formal education been spread so fast to
>>>so many people as in Africa., despite structural adjustment programmes
>>>that have slashed spending on education. Can this really be the
>>>hopeless continent that the critics would have us believe?
>>>
>>>If the Afro-pessimists in the media and elsewhere were to tour Africa
>>>and look at what has been realised instead of what is yet to be
>>>achieved, they might have to eat their words. Since independence,
>>>millions of new class-rooms, housing units, offices and clinics have
>>>been built. Air and seaports have been developed and hundreds of
>>>thousands of kilometres of new roads have been laid.
>>>
>>>Starting from point zero, several African countries, Mauritius and
>>>Tunisia to name just two, have become among the most competitive
>>>industrial centres in the world.
>>>
>>>Are we still talking about ‘basket case’ Africa?
>>>
>>>But the most surprising statistic is still to come. We are told that a
>>>tiny country like Belgium has a greater GDP than scores of African
>>>countries. True, but this is a false comparison. It would be like
>>>comparising the per capita income in Belgium with the per capita
>>>income of Brunei. Using this yardstick, the Belgians would come out as
>>>poor as church-mice!
>>>
>>>Belgium, like many other Western countries has a long history of
>>>industrialisation. In fact, Belgium’s current wealth was founded on
>>>rubber from the Congo. The majority of the working population in
>>>Belgium, over 90%, is engaged in industry or services. This forms the
>>>country’s GDP.
>>>
>>>There is one irreducible economic fact of life. You do not become
>>>wealthy by simply producing primary raw materials. You become wealthy
>>>by working on primary commodities and producing a wide range of
>>>products,
>>>i.e. industrialisation.
>>>
>>>So, for Belgium to have a high GDP is nothing unusual. To find our how
>>>well it is doing, you have to compare it to other indusrialised
>>>countries, not to countries in which there is little or no
>>>industrialisation.
>>>
>>>In Africa, the vast majority, some 80%, live a rural life. Most are
>>>subsistence farmers. Their income does not come into the calculations
>>>of national GDP. On average only one percent of Africa’s  population
>>>in engaged in industry, compared to 90% of Belgium’s. Thus, Belgium’s
>>>GDP should be 90% higher than Africa’s - but it isn’t. So either
>>>Belgium is performing well below par or Africa is performing
>>>exceptionally
>>>well.
>>>
>>>Those Africans who do pay taxes live in the urban areas but on
>>>average, they do not form more than 11% of the population. The
>>>national income derives mainly from commodities whose prices continue
>>>to decline. The only jobs to be found are in the few industries and in
>>>government. It is estimated that fewer than 5% of Africans pay taxes.
>>>The cost of collecting taxes from the further 6% or 7% probably eligible
>>>to
>>>pay tax would certainly exceed the amount of tax collected.
>>>
>>>Tiny tax base :
>>>
>>>From this tiny tax base, the government has to finance its budget. A
>>>quarter to a third of national income goes to paying interest on debt.
>>>No wonder African professionals and civil servants are so poorly paid.
>>>Yet they expect and aspire to better lifestyles. No wonder parallel,
>>>corrupt systems develope.
>>>
>>>Africa has few industries because there is no capital base for
>>>industrial growth. Prior to independence Africans were not allowed, by
>>>law in many countries, to accumulate capital. Even today, in countries
>>>like Zimbabwe, the majority are locked out of the mainstream economy
>>>because they cannot obtain title-deeds to the only form of collateral
>>>they have - land.
>>>
>>>Without capital, or the means to accumulate capital, because most
>>>businesses and property were and still are held by expatriate settlers
>>>or commercial communities, the only route out of poverty is through
>>>employment in government. This was the closest most Africans could get
>>>to the commercial flow of their own country. It is hardly surprising
>>>that some used their positions to accumulate capital corruptly.
>>>
>>>Since the government is the main employer, getting yourself or your
>>>party into government becomes a matter of survival. This is why
>>>elections in Africa are such passionate affairs. In other parts of the
>>>world, countries have gone to war over matters of economic survival.
>>>The Gulf war is a case in point.
>>>
>>>But this does not change the basic fact that for most African
>>>countries, income from commodities is declining while their
>>>expenditure, particularly in view of high population growth rates, is
>>>increasing.
>>>
>>>Africa’s problem is making the transition from a suppressed peasant
>>>economy into a modern industrial based one. This involves massive
>>>social, cultural and psychological changes. No continent, not even
>>>Asia, has had to make such sweeping changes, with so little resources
>>>and in such a short time, as Africa.
>>>
>>>To expect this to happen without social and political turmoil is to
>>>expect more than a miracle. Yet, considering the furies that were
>>>unleashed when similar massive changes were made following the Russian
>>>and French revolutions or the World Wars, Africa has come off lightly
>>>by comparison.
>>>
>>>Under such circumstances, it should not have been be possible for
>>>Africa to register any growth at all. To produce more tea, coffee or
>>>cocoa would only drive the price down and make income even worse.
>>>Yet incredibly, African countries have been growing. Of course, growth
>>>is not even but on average, there is real growth. This growth has been
>>>achieved despite Africa having one of the narrowest industrial bases
>>>in the world. It has been also been achieved despite the fact that the
>>>bulk of Africa’s population is still shut out from the world’s
>>>economic mainstream.
>>>
>>>If Africa has been able to achieve so much despite the terrible start
>>>it got at independence, imagine what it will be able to do when the
>>>majority of its citizens are able to join the economic mainstream.
>>>
>>>But the farmer will not abandon his fields to go and look for
>>>non-existent jobs in the city. Jobs will only  be created with greater
>>>industrialisation. Industries will only be set up if markets can be
>>>accessed. And markets can only be accessed if the trade barriers on
>>>Africa’s industrial goods are lifted.
>>>
>>>South Africa and other African countries are fighting tooth and nail
>>>to get a bigger share of the global market. They are being fiercely
>>>opposed by some industrialised countries but have the support of
>>>others.
>>>
>>>We believe that sooner rather than later, Africa will win and get the
>>>markets. In the meanwhile, it needs investments to add value to its
>>>products and gear itself up to enter the industrial mainstream.
>>>
>>>Despite its problems, including endemic diseases, wars and famine in
>>>some parts, outright looting of national resources in others, Africa’s
>>>performance from less than a standing start 40 years ago has been
>>>exemplary. Many nations, including the US, are now prepared to invest
>>>substantially in Africa. Some voices, such as those of Jesse Jackson
>>>and even President Clinton, are calling for a Marshal Plan for Africa.
>>>They want to see an end to the sticking-plaster approach to Africa’s
>>>problems. They want to see Africa given a fair opportunity to stand as
>>>an equal in the community of nations.
>>>
>>>Other voices, unfortunately equally powerful, can see nothing good
>>>emerging from Africa. It is therefore our duty, and that of others
>>>with a voice that can be heard, to make sure that Africa’s many
>>>achievements are trumpeted at least as loudly as its shortcomings.
>>>
>>>                                                    By Anver Versi
>>>
>>>________________________________________________________________________
>>>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
>>>
>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>>>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>>>
>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>________________________________________________________________________
>>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------