Page 11 - Volume 1_Go home mzungu Go Home_merged with links

Notes from the Author

Why 3 Volumes ?

Anyone, including professionals, who seeks to add their ‘twopenny’ worth to the

development of Africa should first acquaint themselves with the distortions that the

m’zungu has knowingly and unknowingly created in all aspects of modern day Africa.

Africa, before the time of the m’zungu colonisation, was not the place so often seen

in Hollywood films. m’zungu colonisation did not benefit the African in the way even some

m’zungu academics continue to profess.

The responsibility for the decades of chaos that followed African independence lies

much more with the m’zungu than he likes to think. It’s not just the m’zungu actions and
inactions prior to independence, which created the circumstances for those decades of

chaos. It’s also the way the m’zungu saw Africa as a battleground for their own selfish
ambitions even after so-called independence.

*****
Volume 2 Changes !

Most people do not realise how much Africa has changed. None of the non-professional
people I meet understands this. Nor of how Africa will have a much bigger impact on

everyone’s lives in the future.

The ordinary m’zungu, we who elect the politicians who make the decisions on

International Aid, need to change our own attitudes towards Africa and its development.

International Aid is much more of a mess than donor nations like to admit. Donor

nations need to move on and make changes. Changes in their approach to development,
changes in their relationships with African nations.

Discussions on International Aid can be distorted by a failure to fully understand the
complexities that African leaders have to deal with. This gives rise to simplistic

‘judgments’ based more on perceived m’zungu values. Democracy so often becomes a
stick to beat the African leader with. Development of Africa’s least developed countries

requires a high degree of Change Management skills. We need to acknowledge that before

rushing to judgement.

*****

Volume 3 Making UK Aid more effective !

DfiD used to score well on ethical virtues such as ‘transparency’. DfiD lacked vision. DfiD

failed to provide leadership. DfiD became an institution focused on disbursing a budget.