Zambia fondly remembers its late President Mwanawsa
September 3rd, 2010
Mr. Mwanawasa, who died this week in France, deserves to be remembered more fondly than the showmen who have beggared much of the African continent. He made serious efforts to cleanse Zambia’s pervasive corruption. Because of his anti corruption drive capital poured in. Zambia’s mineral-rich economy, soared and crashed according to the vagaries of world commodity prices, but its recent growth, at 6% or so a year, driven by copper exports should be attributed to decent policies that kept inflation low and helped spread benefits to the poor. The economy benefited by tourists and white farmers who diverted from Zimbabwe. Liberalization and Mr .Mwanawasa stolid efforts got unusually large dollops of aid and debt relief as well. Though not an oil-producer, Zambia is one of Africa’s biggest recipients of Chinese investment, as the resource-hungry Asian giant pours capital into mining and agriculture. Mwanawasa, was also a rare voice among Africa’s leaders who damned Mr. Mugabe’s misrule and demanded a change of course. Seven years of Mr. Mwanawasa’s rule has seen some change for better in Zambia. www.instablogs.com