Comments on: Taking what’s not theirs http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/taking-whats-not-theirs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taking-whats-not-theirs Kubatana.net speaks out from Zimbabwe Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:53:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 By: Alasdair http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/taking-whats-not-theirs/#comment-182582 Alasdair Tue, 05 May 2009 09:44:18 +0000 http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=1715#comment-182582 A couple of things here.
1. The argument is not whether Bill Gates should invest in Zimbabwe or not. He can make his own mind up about that. This is not about investment, it is about development aid and peoples perceptions of Zimbabwe’s worth within this context.
2. Bill Gates was speaking in his capacity within the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Not Microsoft. This is important as the foundation directs a considerable amount of development resources towards Africa.
3. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation holds a unique position of influence over peoples perceptions of Africa and where developmental aid should be directed. It is not for me, or anyone else outside the foundation to direct them where to concentrate their developmental aid efforts. Only they can do that within their processes and within their dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
4. What is important here is that through saying that Zimbabwe was too far gone to warrant development aid, in a public forum, he has influenced the global consciousness against Zimbabwe. There remains a perception that Zimbabwe is a no go area with regard to development assistance. A man in his position needs to think carefully about the consequences of his throw away remarks.

There is no suggestion that Zimbabwe deserves more assistance than any other country. No-one is saying that the situation within Zimbabwe is without problems and challenges. But Zimbabwe does not deserve to be cast aside. It does not deserve to be labelled as a country without hope, a country to be avoided or a country that is less deserving than others.

Bill Gates is a man who wields considerable influence globally. A person within his position needs to be responsible about what they are saying.

Development aid is a touchy subject. The current models of development aid are not working. Aid is misdirected and often set against agendas. It is generally agreed that throwing development aid at governments within Africa has, in the past led to reliance and the perpetuation of aid. The conversation should not be about who does or does not deserve development aid. Rather we should be talking about how to make that development aid work. How do we build a sustainable Africa, away from aid reliance.

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