The Shackled Continent:

Africa's Past, Present and Future

By Robert Guest and Reviewed by F.J.Shayo

by permission of the Author R.Guest

"My beloved Continent,

where is your prestige?

Who will heal you

My beloved continent?

Behold, behold someone

Stronger than yesterday,

Is on the way:

Is a true son of Africa

Certainly he will heal you;

Don't dispair my continent:

Just let them call you the poorest

While they feed from your land;

Let them despise you-

While indeed they are coming

To Africa as if is heaven;

Let them depend on their e-Brain;

Even e-Colonialism;

Even e-Theft-

Under the package of :

'e-Investing in Africa'

Under the assistance of our

e-African Leaders - 'traitors'!"

F.J

Robert Guest is the Editor of The Economist (Africa)who for years has been tackling the subject of

Africa’s poverty. The Shackled Continent: Africa’s Past, Present and Future dissects the continent of

Africa in areas of war, famine, economics, politics and leadership. Leaders like Robert Mugabe are

dissected and the truth about their poor leadership is left open. Follow the dissection here…

In the 21st Century, all African Countries are free; free from colonialism and its roots. Yet we have some few basic questions: is freedom sufficient for African Countries to achieve total freedom and

development? Was independence necessary for some of the African countries as far as most of the African

countries are concerned today? Or was it necessary for most of African countries to remain under colonial rule for a while? All these and many more questions which can be asked by intellectuals always clinches

in the brains of some Africans and human development thinkers every where in the world. Most African countries today have lost their cause, identity and ideology. Countries like Zimbabwe and Mozambique have a mild climate and a number of wealth resources yet they are among the poorest African countries. TheShackled Continent: Africa‟s Past, Present and Future written by Robert Guest of theEconomist Journal and a long time reporter of the BBC in

Africa, dissects this continent into different diagonals – mostly politically, socially, historically and

importantly economically and left the recipe on the table free for every one to help himself! Slavery disrupted many African societies Guest pinpoints how slavery disrupted many African societies. According to Guest, Arab slavers were the first outsiders to arrive but Africans were found enslaving themselves for centuries prior to the arrival

of the Arabs from as far as Saud Arabia and Oman. As a matter of fact, slavery was common in most parts of the world before the Britons fought it and eventually crushed it. Africa was no exception as before 30 and 60 per cent of Africans were slaves all

over Africa before the arrival of Europeans. A number of Africans were shipped to America via the

Atlantic and could be seen as an extension of African‟s internal market instead of being seeing as a crime.

African Chiefs participated fully in this business. Slaves were equated to cows or goats and some Chiefs

even protested when the trade was banned – writes Guest.

Guest recalls the cruelty of slavery and he writes that it was “cruel and rapacious.”From 19th century slavery continued into the 20th century in both East Asia and the Middle East. Guest wonders that, even at

21st century in countries such as Mauritania and Sudan slavery continues today! Guest dissected the colonial rule in Africa. He recalls: it ended half a century ago. The colonial powers left social scars, precedents of dictatorship and troublesome artificial national boundaries. What is good

for Guest is that, they left considerable modern infrastructure such as roads, railroads, medical clinics etc.

These are great gifts which Africa can not forget although they caned our grand pas! Guest reminds us

that, over 70% of Africans alive today, were born after independence of their respective countries. Guest

criticizes strongly the way African countries rely on outside assistance in order to build their economy. Reliance on outside assistance to solve African‟s problems is an obvious exercise in futility. Prosperity of

each African nation can only come from self reliance, full stop! Countries grow wealthy in much the same ways that individuals do Outside assistance, can at most assist at margins. Guest writes, “countries grow wealthy in much the same ways that individuals do: by making things that other people wants to buy, or providing services

that others will pay for. There are exceptions. Just as some individuals inherit wealth, so some countries

are rich simply because they have a lot of oil and not many citizens. But by and large the route to

prosperity is through thrift, hard works, and finding out what other people want in order to sell to them.” Basing on that fact, what Africa produces, that the world market wants except natural resources that are taken raw and a few agricultural commodities that are also penetrated to the market raw. As a matter of fact, Africa produces nothing.Shame on Africa! I wonder, Africa has a good number of graduates whom graduated with flying colors in almost every sector ranging from, agriculture,

doctors, engineers, pilots, architectures and building economists, economists and even anthropologists!

Where are they? And what are their contributions to the development of African economy? AIDS pandemic is a new plague hobbling Africa The Book, The Shackled Continent points a number of calamities facing Africa today.The AIDS

plague is one of the worst calamities which have been experienced in Africa for a decade now. Guest

writes, “life expectancy has fallen in much of Africa in the last two decades..,. 30 million Africans are

infected with HIV. Three deaths occur in Africa. Nearly 5 Africans die of the disease every

minute…migration and war helped the virus to cross boarders…the disease threatens to kill more people

than all continent‟s wars put together and multiplied by ten. I know you won‟t like it but let us call

a „spade a spade!‟ This is not me, is Robert Guest, he has been in Africa for more than three years

consecutives dealing with Africans issues in different perspectives. So, he knows all about Africa – A – Z.

Guest writes, “Polygamy, witchcraft, and superstition aggravate the crisis…“ Guest continues to writes, “AIDS continue to make employees sicker and therefore, very expensive and less productive…AIDS is making Africans poorer…South African economy will be 17% smaller in 2010 than it would have been without th3e virus… the Zambian Health Ministry estimates that half of Zambia‟s population will eventually die of it.” AIDS pandemic is anew plague hobbling Africa. Obvious its victims are typically in their early mature and most productive years. AIDS pandemic, is a calamity to Africa. Africa is remaining silent but for sure AIDs is a calamity I repeat again. How can the future of Africa stand if the trouble is not fought sincerely? Philosophize! Africa and tribalism Africa has been too loyal to tribal loyalties than national loyalties. Demagogic leaders are ring leaders in playing this. However, what has been experienced as a result of this is horrific. There have been several “holocausts” in Africa since WW-II. Nigeria, Cote d‟IVoire, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Liberia and several other African countries have experienced ethnic slaughters in one way or

another! In emphasizing this, Guest assert that, this tribalism of politics, along with economic quotas and other

ethnically divisive laws, increases the influence of “tribal hucksters” and eventually inhibit economic

growth and as a result the economic policy is transformed into a zero sum game where every gain

generated is someone‟s loss. Trade barriers amongst African countries Guest looks at the trade barriers to African agricultural and textile exports as the worst damage to African

economy than can possibly be made up by aid. But worse enough, African countries impose debilitating trade restraints against each other. And a good example is recently meeting in one of the Arabs country

where Tanzania was intending to sale a pile of stock of ivory it owns for many years, worse enough, most

of the African countries voted against it. Poor leadership In trying to analyze character of a poor leadership, Guest points Nigeria as a sample of a poorly managed country. Guest quotes, Chinua Achebe speaking of Nigeria saying: “The trouble with Nigeria is

simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character.

There is nothing wrong with Nigerian land or climate or water or inability of its leaders to rise to the

responsibility, to the challenge of personnel example which is the hallmarks of true leadership.” Guest

emphasizes that; the same can be exemplified to all African nations. I asked before if “independence” has meaning to African countries. Guest comments about the challenge of African countries‟ independence. He writes: “Since independence, „Africans‟ governments have failed

their people. Few allow ordinary citizens the freedom to seek their own fortunes without official

harassment. Few uphold the rule of law, enforce contracts or safeguard property rights. Many are blatantly predatory, serving as means by which small elite extracts rents from everyone else. Predatory

governments usually make their countries poorer, as in Nigeria and the Central African Republic. Worse,

when power confers riches, people sometimes fight for it, as in Congo and Liberia.” Guest goes as far as picking Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe as one of the worst economic failure nations.

Zimbabwe‟s Robert Mugabe is a prime example of how not to lead a nation. Some people can wonder

how Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana is also referred to as one of the failure leaders and his socialism ideology.

Socialist tendencies of African governments still hobble African economies. The way socialism was

administered alternatives to free markets impoverish whole African nations which adored it like Tanzania! Africa and African leadership, you can‟t understand it the way it fails its people (The majority – to be precise). It is difficult to philosophize the mechanism of leadership and economic maneuvering that for

decades has been ruining Africa under the so called Africanism. Vast sum of the Western aid for example,

were wastefully misspent and nothing stern happens. In nations with substantial mineral wealth like

Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Liberia, Nigeria etc kleptocratic governments still hobble economies and worse

enough, nothing happens. Wars over control of property (assets) impoverish the people and destroy their

meager economy. Mineral wealth is transformed from an asset to a curse! Africa still fumble in darkness of poverty as there still lies lack of property rights, widespread corruption and administrative red tape hobble economic activities. For Africa “title deed” is as hard as having a mere business license or motor vehicle registration card. Why all these? Here comes the

reason, “Leaders of darkness, thieves and corrupt men of the third world countries!” Guest has gone as far as having a look over “petty corruption among public officials” and lack of infrastructure which hobble business growth and realization of profit and low cost. Guest explains that,

starting a business in Africa often means establishing your own electric, water and transportation

infrastructure. This portrays that, risks are high, only the most profitable businesses can survive in the jungle. However, the demonization of international corporations inhibits productive investment from

outside world. Africa is good in providing education to its people. There after is like a hen which is about to lay eggs.

Most African countries have no culture of handling its scholars. Go to Europe, America, Asia, Arabs

countries and other places of the globe, doctors, engineers, pilots, architectures, researchers, athletes, and

computer wizards even aero-space super men are doing good jobs out there. Reason, Africa is not ready to

utilize its experts it generates it self using taxes of poor men who are leaving under $1 a day! Yet, Africa

is employing a good number of experts of almost similar qualifications from abroad; paying them at

exorbitant rates. You can wonder, are we not crazy? South Africa remains an exception to much of this; because of proper planning it has. South Africa has sound budgetary and monetary policies as well as reasonably good infrastructure I comparison to most African countries south of Sahara. On the other hand, South Africa has failed to grow fast enough to employ most of its unemployed blacks who are causing riots in Shanty Towns and other places where a number of unemployed is bigger. In chapter 9 Guest singles South Africa for special treatment as a “beyond a rainbow Nation” and rightly so, given its status

as one of the few countries in Africa that has managed since the end of apartheid to adhere to fiscal

policies that are outstanding in relation to those of certain neighbors whose ideas of boosting the economy

involve nationalization and printing more money like Zimbabwe. On the other hand, South Africa is tempered by “palpable anger” that seems to drive “street violence” and “crime” and responses to it, President Thabo Mbeki‟s by then mysterious tolerance of

Mugabe‟s reign of terror and the reality that the country needs an entrepreneurial class that does not

depend on government patronage. Good Government vs. bad Government Guest tries to evaluate between good government and bad government as he considers Korea, where South prospers and the North languishes in the darkness of extremely poverty by all definitions of poverty. Before 1990, West German prospered while socialism syndrome eaten the Eastern German economy and left it in shambles. The same applies in Africa. Guest narrates further that, when comparing between a well governed Botswana with its Northern neighbor Zambia which also is socialistic and extremely corrupt and poorer today; it has failed its people as it is poorer today than it was when it gained independence. And that‟s why I asked earlier when I began my analysis that: wasn‟t it better for most of the African countries to delay in getting their independent? If Africa was better governed, it would be richer Guest writes, “if Africa was better governed it would be richer.” And of course, if every African country

was better governed, it would be richer. The same I speak to my motherland-(Tanzania), if it was much

better governed, it would be richer! Yet, we have a room to be richer because we are governing it better

but we must govern it at best! Guest has always been better when it comes to the question of mentioning Robert Mugabe as an example

of the worst African leader in every situation. Mugabe is a prime example of what is wrong with African

governance. Guest writes: “Africans are poor largely because they are not yet free. They live under

predatory, incompetent governments which they have great trouble shaking off. Their governments

impoverish them in many ways: through corruption, through bad economic policies, and sometimes, as in

Zimbabwe, by creating an atmosphere of terror that scares off all but the most intrepid business folk.” Mugabe whether knowingly or not knowingly has damaged Zimbabwean economy, international relations

and internal democracy by intimidating opponents, inflationary monetary expansion, corruption widened,

causing budget deficit, ravaging economic system, inflated prices, bloating and over paying bureaucracy ,

an obstructionist licensing and regulatory regime. What has been experienced in Zimbabwe is reverse industrial revolution. Every hope has been turned upside down. The only good thing is that Mugabe won‟t

live forever one day we will forget him and call it history! Botswana is an exception In African economy, Botswana is an exception. Other African countries have similar dreary histories and

disastrous economic results. Mozambique‟s economy has been dwindled by dreadful civil war which

ended up in 1992. Mozambique‟s government is doing efforts to attract more foreign aid in order to repair

its damaged economic system.

(If war, corruption, conflicts and poor leadership won't be stopped in Africa, this is the result): mj Effect of civil war in Africa Guest draws the effect of civil war in Africa. 20% of African populations have been blighted by civil war as of the time Robert Guest‟s book was been written in 2003 – 2004. Out of that 20% are casualties, 90%

of the casualties are civilians. Civilians who are the work force of this continent. When civil war

broke, expect refugees disaster and environment degradation forget all about deaths and diseases. In

Africa there are a total of 20 million refugees; most of them are women and children who are lacking their

fundamental rights of education and maternal love. In African context, when women are running from

their country of domicile, that means no more food and all activities of petty development are stopping

including agriculture. Children are loosing their state of education and little resources which have been acquired through hard labor are lost in the wilderness of civil war and migration. “For young men with

few prospects, a solders pay, or the opportunity to loot in neighboring village, can seem appealing.” Guest

writes.

Complex civil war in Congo Guest provides details of the long, complex civil wars in Congo, Angola and Mozambique. The cause is nothing but the control of mineral wealth. In the 1990‟s, at least eleven African nations suffered from conflict over control of mineral wealth. Angola has left a kleptocratic and inept government in place

at the end of the civil war. Angola has oil and diamonds so it does not depend on the rest of the economy

for its revenues. Nevertheless, peace is better for commerce than war, and some economic revival is

visible as peace prevails. Because, is from this juncture where people returns to their homes and farms to continue with their normal ways of life. Interventions from within and without Interventions from within and from outside Africa has brought some relief and extending cold wars. A boycott of “conflict diamonds” from rebel – held mines was effective in Angola. In Sierra Leone 800 British soldiers ended horrific civil war there. We have seen Mzee Nelson Mandela and Ketumile Masire working diplomatically for peace in Congo and Burundi. We have been

experiencing Western aid been cut off from warring nations and given instead to peaceful ones. It took 17,500 UN troops to keep peace in Sierra Leone alone, while the other 15,000 UN troops were

taken to Liberia costing almost $800 million a year. All this money could be subjected to other areas of

development Africa could turn from a begging giant to a giant economic continent. Africa to stay peaceful in a long term Guest writes, “to stay peaceful in the long term, countries need governments that serve their citizens

instead of robbing them, and which can be removed without violence. Not only must these governments

be elected; they must be elected under rules that more or less every one agrees to be fair. Countries need

constitution that provides reasonable protection for all citizens, regardless of whether they support the

ruling party or not. Governments must respect their constitutions under the terms of which they govern,

and should step down when they are voted out.” And is from this point of view that I respect the

government of Tanzania and its leaders which play a roll model in Africa when it comes to the question of

democracy; bravo the ruling Party - CCM! I remember even the President of Zanzibar, His Excellency President Abeid Amani Karume, though he was been requested by his own people, own voters to extend his term, strongly he said no, “let the constitution be respected.” He said. This tells much how democracy is a giant tree in

Tanzania and how Tanzania is a University of democracy in Africa. Bravo Mr. President! Lack of property rights Lack of property rights has been hindering the economic growth of citizens of Africa. How can people

own capital by lacking property rights? Guest here echoes and supplements Hernando De Soto. 90% of all

Africans are without enforceable legal title deeds to their homes. On the other hand, though they own

homes, they are homeless as they work without formal contracts or written records of their efforts or in the

gray market “informal” economy without any legal status at all.

Guest highlights the importance of credits to farmers. He pinpoints that without credits farmers can not

buy seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs. Successful business undertaken by the tradesmen can

not succeed without credit facilities from strong financial institutions. As populations grow year by year,

farms are further subdivided, further impoverishing the people. Those who move to the cities to find work risk loosing their land. However, they can‟t sale the land without approvals from their family and the

Local Chiefs, and someone will grab it if it will be left unattended. This is the kind of land problem in

most African countries. In his book: The Shackled Continent: Africa‟s Past, Present and Future, Robert Guest emphasizes that, “for poor countries today, the lesson is not in the details of American history, but in the general

principles. For property law to be respected, it has to reflect what is actually happening on the ground, and

it has to include as many people as possible. Poor countries‟ efforts at reforming property law have rarely

succeeded. Middle - class reformers have too often assumed that their ideas could be imposed on the poor.

In Peru for example, numerous attempts to give indigenous people title to their land failed because the

mechanisms by which they could assert their right were too complex and costly.” Africa is hard. You need to be tough to live here. Is as if the law of the jungle prevails here? Only the

strongest survives. Imagine having to create or grow everything you sell yet you have to take it physically

to the market on foot almost twenty five kilometers away from your home. Worse enough, you have to sale at whatever you can get that day because on contrast you have to carry it back home another twenty

five kilometers to make it fifty kilometers; remember, most of the time with nothing taken into your

stomach and sometimes pregnant! Robert Guest is embarking on how those who benefits from the system are blocking the establishment of

enforceable property and creditor rights unnecessarily as they benefit from the existing state. Robert Guest is good in comparison. He compares and contrasts. Guest relates experience in Rwanda,

Nigeria and South Africa. Though there are great differences in the three; in some fundamental cases, yet

there are vital similarities. For example, Guest writes, in all three countries, politicians have at times

sought to stir up, rather than sooth, ethnic passions. In all three, governments have made laws that

explicitly discriminate against their own citizens on tribal or ethnic grounds. In all three again, the results have been either woeful, in Rwanda‟s case, catastrophic. Tanzania’s image before the eyes of Robert Guest According to Robert Guest, Tanzania at first sight is considered as an island of tolerance. However, he considers how ujamaa brought mess in that country though on the other hand Mwalimu

Julius K. Nyerere managed essentially to free tribal politics and resentments.

The late President of Tanzania Mwl. J.K.Nyerere Guest continues to write that, “while other African leaders stirred tribal rivalries to keep themselves in

power, Julius Nyerere sought to soothe them instead. He imposed a single official

language, Kiswahili and urged every Tanzanian to learn it so that they could talk to each other. He banned

ethnically divisive folk from politics.” Just simple like that and ethnic syndrome ended up in that country.

What a great leader? But to put things clear, we have to consider some other factors such as National Service. Intermingling middle schools‟ students from one region to another as well as civil servants

transfers from one region to another, this assisted very much in building up national unity. Ravages of HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS pandemic is an issue in Africa. Guest didn‟t left the issue HIV/AIDS unattended. The ravage

of AIDS is covered by Guest extensively. According to him, the pandemic is personal, social and

economic disaster which occurs on a massive scale and is added on top of malaria and other tropical

diseases for causing deaths. Yet, statistically, Africa‟s population is growing rapidly in both rural and

urban. Life in Africa is judged for a day. Tomorrow will account on its own. No body dares about tomorrow! Poor people‟s pleasure is sex and liquor- because, as there is no electricity, Guest writes, food is ready by

6:00 pm in most villages if not all. It is dark by 7:00 pm. By 7:30 pm people are on bed. Expect what is

next and there are no contraceptives and condoms? Expect unplanned babies due to lack of family

planning and infection of STDs and HIV/AIDS.

AIDS is fought day and night in Africa. Money is pumped in Africa from different parts of the world. There is a Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation. There is the Government of USA. There is the WHO. There is UN and many other International and local organizations. Essentially, there have been

successes in fighting AIDS in Africa to some extent. Yet, there is a long way to go and a number of

challenges which needs collective responsibilities. Robert Guest recalls how hard it is in challenging AIDS in Africa where evenpeople don‟t wear safety belts! Ignorance and lack of “hope” makes people lousy because everything ahead of them

is “uncertain!” So maximizing life today is everything as no body is certain about tomorrow! AIDS is

caught via “loosing hope for life”. Once life is meaningless, then everything is meaningless too! Africa under extreme poverty is a home of many calamities not only AIDS. Issues of crimes in Africa, urbanization, alcohol and drugs, shanty towns and many more are unavoidable. Leaders of Africa through AU, UN Organizations, EUand the rest of the world should look Africa with a different eye – “Eye of Hope.” Polio Vaccination Campaign This is one of the areas where foreign aid has succeeded in Africa – Guest observes. According to Guest,

many assistant grants failed. Guest exemplified Zambia as one of the peaceful country with peaceful

people that has thus attracted massive foreign grants between 1980 and 1996, where grants worth US $400

million were pumped, nevertheless, average income fell from US $540 -$ 300 per year between 1964

(when Zambia became independent) and 2000. Studies done by various scholars and prominent

economists have discovered no rebuts link between the amount of foreign aid received and success at

economic development. Why all these? Lack of leadership and team work; you see Presidents and Prime Ministers in Africa want to remain Presidents and Prime Ministers instead of becoming the Chief Executive Officers of their Offices (CEO). There is a significant difference between an Executive Officer

and His Excellence Mr. President specifically when it comes to the question of deliverance. Presidents and

Prime Ministers should behave like CEOs. They should not behave like people from the Royal Family.

They are not Kings. They should know that, in the government‟s payroll they are worker number one and

number two each. So, Presidents, Prime Ministers, perform! The Dangers of the Western World in Africa is Unaccountable When we account about the Western World we consider even giant companies and other influenced individuals who have their own interests such as mining and other sectors which play an important role in economy. Guest writes that: “he who pays the piper calls the tune. We have experienced what happened during the cold war. Each side had its client states in Africa. The bad thing is,

each side supported guerrilla and dissident forces seeking to undermine the others clients. Little of this

support funds found their way into critical infrastructure or economic development. Client state giving still constitutes a large proportion of foreign aid. Much more about Botswana… Whenever discussing about Botswana, always the story emerge differently. Aid and money from

diamonds was used to finance infrastructure, education and health. The nation was open for business. Eco

– tourism flourished. The government was reasonably honest, and GDP per head rose to US $ 3,000. Guest wrote, “The adage that foreign aid is a transfer from the poor countries is always true. A typical poor African country receive aid equivalent to about 10% of GDP, but the poorest fifth of the population disposes of aid only 4% of GDP. In other words, a lot of aid is paying for conferences in five – star hotels, study trips for MPs and top officials to Washington DC and buying Toyota Land cruisers VX V8s high classification to ferry aid workers around!” Is it not ridiculous? Let‟s have mercy over these poor fellow brothers and sisters around Africa. African leaders

should change up their attitudes and start behaving like grown ups and matured people. Africa is poor not because is poor by default but because we insisted it to be poor beyond God‟s will!

Guest elaborates about how needs vary from one country to another in Africa. Most African countries still

need basic human needs: primary education, primary health care, passable roads, piped water and a

functioning legal system. Most African governments have problems of good governance. Guest points out tendency of most African

countries to spend aid money on perquisites for the governing class. Fundamentally, this is ridiculous. While this is happening, in schools children are sitting on the floor. In hospitals, specifically primary

health centers, there are no drugs. The worst point is, those governing leaders in power, they believe that,

Africa‟s problems are someone‟s fault, but not themselves, which is wrong. On the other hand, common

people believe that, development and development catalyst is leader‟s responsibility. This also is wrong.

The best idea is, we should work in a team work and common people should understand that they are the

initiators of development within their respective areas and consequently their countries-that means, charity

begins at home! Poor infrastructure creates many difficulties and costs Guest has observed a number of bad expenses about poor infrastructures in Africa: The dirty roads are mess of ruts and potholes, bridges are in bad repair and are frequently washed out like recently experience in Kilosa District in Morogoro Region where even railways were washed away by heavy rain due to lack of time to time check ups and repairs. However, road blocks enforce a vast array of regulations that provide numerous opportunities for demand for bribes. A good example, start your journey from Dar es Salaam while heading to Mbeya, you will wonder the number of police traffics all the way and within short distances. Is as if they don‟t trust each other and they are rechecking each other. I personally argue to the Inspector General of Police to come up with a sustainable plan towards check points and general roads patrol along all trunk roads in this country. On the other hand, why his „traffics police Officers‟ are too obesity as if there is no exercise and discipline in the police army as it was during the early 70s?Mzee

Mwema, this is a challenge towards your office. I know you always perform as a chief executive officer

and that makes things to be on proper line. So, I expect flat Traffic Police Officers - „that means no

protruding stomachs!‟ whenever I pass through out this country. Living in Africa is not a joke for a common man with a spending purchasing power less than US $1 a day! Yet this man has to pay costs of every item sold there. Bad roads increase the costs of manufactured items

in the interior by 25%. Since bottled beverages like beer and Coca-Cola are the only safe liquids to drink

in these areas and now a day‟s bottled drinking water, this is no minor matter. This goes as far as to affect

medicines and vaccines. Bad roads in Africa are a challenge. Bad roads make it impossible for interior farmers to get cash crops to

big city markets. Bad roads have been impoverishing people of the interior of the poor African nations. On

the other side of the coin, incomes immediately rise whenever roads are improved. I don‟t think Africa needs prophets to make it holly in terms of leadership, economy and environmental

protection. Building roads that are durable and at international standards is not a miracle even a

nightmare! Is something which is possible, what is required is determination and morals. Farmers who are living at the heart of our countries need good roads that are passable through out the year. Income of our

people will improve when roads at rural areas are good. In absence of the roads, the people who are living

in these regions will be hopelessly impoverished. Leaders in Africa turn around, look at your people, your

bosses, your voters, and say, „enough is enough, let us now care for our people!‟ Foreign direct investments Africa has lost much under the wilderness of corruption, neo-colonialism and Western unfaithful investors specifically in the sector of mining and oil. However, the gap between the developing world and African „Petty‟ development is widening day by day. In Africa, the gap between the poor and the rich is astonishing. In Africa today life is loosing meaning. Guest is dissecting much on how Africa is exploited in „terms of cheap labor,‟ and „rich resource‟. Is from this point of view that Guest examines how Western standards, multinational pay and working conditions are by far best

available under developed nations – where multinationals transfer valuable skills from this continent.

Although investors from the Western world are worried about investing in Africa where risks such as lack

of reliable infrastructure, suppliers, utilities or even physical safety are higher than anywhere in the world

yet lack of rule of law, enforcement of contracts and property rights make Africa a place where doing

business needs someone who is ready to take risk at maximum. But on my opinion, real business is not a

game of chance. Real business depends solely on feasibility studies which involves researches from prominent firms. So, the question of taking risk has minimal room. I have seen Anglo – American, a giant company specializing on the sector of mining and mostly – gold mining. This company is making its fortune: sweet money here in Africa, and for sure they don‟t regret

investing in Africa where labor is cheap and you can generate working capital from the same continent

during feasibility study and research! No where in the world you can find such an opportunity. It is

available only in Africa where the so called leaders are just corrupted by Mercedes Benz new modelsas a

package of corruption and forsake their brothers and sisters behind them! I know one day God will stand

on our side and these traitors will pay their due! The result of this turning point is corruption, lack of nationality and honest leaders. As a matter of fact,

Africa has a long way to go towards building a continent where its own people including their leaders are

the custodians of their resources, preservers of their environment and wild life as a gift from God and a

valuable asset to our tomorrow‟s generation. Robert Guest narrates, Africa unlike India or China it is not a massive national market. Africa has lost it

strength after being divided into small small states thus leading it to small national markets which worth

nothing when it comes to the question of markets continent wise and global wise. Lack of unification or

regional common markets such like that of EAC, ECOWAS or SADC–Africa is being traumatized more

and more economically. Indigenous entrepreneurs in Africa All these indigenous entrepreneurs - face the same challenges as the multinationals. There is lack of

finances which makes it impossible for even successful business to expand. Inheritance traditions have

been experienced to cause businesses to break up on the deaths of the founders. Guest has noted lack of culture of trustworthiness. Business must rely on family circle and must conduct transactions with others

in cash. Technology is invading Africa, is it a blessing? May be blessing in disguise! When we look over modern weapons, where millions of land mines are

underground waiting to kill or amputate legs of our people specifically women and children, automatic

guns, helicopter gunships on the other hand – kills hundred of thousands of our people in Angola, Congo,

Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone and many more African countries and the essence of all these is to

keep despots in power. Guest has managed to show how technology has managed increasing life span of modern medicines by

150% in the last century. In some African countries AIDS is reversing some of the life span gains. Guest is astonished by little research done on medicines for tropical diseases which include malaria. The

reason behind it is poor market and the risk of theft of intellectual property which is so high. Guest noted that, AIDS drugs delivered at the cut rate prices to Africa from WHO and the Western world

were sometimes grabbed by corrupt officials and sold in Europe at an exorbitant prices. Records portrays

that, it costs about US $500 million to develop a new drug. On the other hand, incentives for Pharmaceuticals Company to research onto tropical diseases are too

little. According to records available, of 1223 drugs introduced between 1975 and 1996, it was learned out

that only 13 were for tropical diseases, malaria one of them. Guest however, gives words of hope as his

findings comes up with the other side of the coin where charities are now trying to step into this breach and finance such research in order to reverse the situation.

As the book finds its final touches, Guest gives a way forward. Roads to riches Guest writes, “where roads improve, incomes tend to rise in parallel…no country with good roads has

ever suffered famine…there is no substitute for building and maintaining a better infrastructure.” Apart from addressing the issues of how to reduce risks, the evil of oppressing the poor, he notes one thing

which impressed me so much which is how famine in Africa is being caused more by bad governments

than by bad weather. As a result, “once people have valuable expertise, however, keeping them is a

problem. Guest justifies how Africa loses 23,000 professionals every year, which helps explain why Chad

has 1 doctor for every 30,000 people. It is the brightest and best educated who leave…” Guest concludes that Africa has “two big problems, first the tendency of African elite to spend other

people‟s money on themselves second their tendency to believe that Africa‟s problems are someone else‟s

fault." Dear friends, this is The Shackled Continent: Africa’s Past, Present and Future, a book written by Robert Guest a graduate of Oxford University who lived in Africa for more than 3 years reporting on

the wars, famine and economics. Guest regularly appears on CNN and the BBC.

(The end)

Reviewed by F.J.Shayo - ADMM, MBA/PLM (MU) The reviewer is a Public Servant and currently working with Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs

- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. E –mail: francisjoachim@hotmail.com; winbirdcomputertechnology@gmail.com