38 PROdUcTiON Pondering Points STUdy gROUP Dear Santa Claus: An inter-active African wish list Africa (A): Dear Santa, we really think you haven’t <strong>be</strong>en fair <strong>to</strong> Africa up <strong>to</strong> now – worse than some referees we could mention. How ab<strong>out</strong> a bit of affi rmative Christmas action? Santa (S): That’s not the <strong>be</strong>st way <strong>to</strong> start – self-pity, blaming others and wanting favours; you’ve had affi rmative appointments for the last 16 years and it hasn’t done much good. A: But the world doesn’t play fair – they gang up against us <strong>be</strong>cause they have the natural advantages like …er .. arable land for instance. S: Really? The world has 41 million square kilometre of arable land and 25 % of it is in Africa and 20% of that is <strong>be</strong>ing used — go dig and plant, and use genetically engineered cultivars if they give <strong>be</strong>tter yields. The Chinese are going <strong>to</strong> do it if you don’t, and in Africa, and with their own workers. A: Yes but look at their huge population and the pittance their labour force <strong>to</strong>lerates. S: Africa has 80% of the population of China, nearly all of the poorest countries, the lowest life expectancies and the highest unemployment rates, with a few notable exception s— does that sound <strong>be</strong>tter? A: Well, we could do more if you would just give us some of those two coal-fi red power stations the Chinese are fi nishing every week, but the environment watchdogs don’t want us <strong>to</strong> build them – global warming and all that. S: I offered you a nice new pebble <strong>be</strong>d nuclear plant <strong>to</strong> produce clean, cheap power – where is it? A: Nuclear power? You must <strong>be</strong> off your trolley …er.. sled. Surely no one wants <strong>to</strong> use those things any more we mean ... look at Chernoble and that meltdown in America they had. S: Why don’t you do your homework? There are at the moment 441 nuclear plants operating safely in the world and 60 more <strong>be</strong>ing built – 25 of them in China. A: That’s all very well but please can we have some skilled and experienced professional people <strong>to</strong> run them and the communications and the medical facilities and the schools and universities and the big businesses and the municipalities and ... and ? S: You had all those, what did you do with them? A: Africa just doesn’t have the pulling power <strong>to</strong> compete with the giants like India, the US, the EU and that lot when it comes <strong>to</strong> resources, climate and attractive living. S: Then how is it that there is a country ab<strong>out</strong> the size and population of Cape Town situated right on the equa<strong>to</strong>r that has no lives<strong>to</strong>ck, no mines, no heavy industry and not enough water, that nevertheless has an economy that has grown at an average of over seven percent during this last economic collapse? It also has no unemployment, no illiteracy, no homeless people and virtually no crime. It is a capitalist democratic society that welcomes anyone with professional or technical skills of any race, religion, age, sex or colour if that person can make a contribution, and I don’t get any pitiful requests for hand<strong>out</strong>s. Why can’ you <strong>be</strong> more like Singapore? A: Please, as a different question, what should Africa <strong>be</strong> asking for? S: Thought you’d never ask: I’ll scratch around in my bag at ab<strong>out</strong> the level of hen’s teeth and fl ying pigs and see if I can fi nd a parcel of real leadership – visionary, brave, enlightened, selfl ess, incorruptible and popular enough <strong>to</strong> catch the populist vote! Wish me luck. Porcus Novem<strong>be</strong>r/Desem<strong>be</strong>r 2010
TRaiNiNg Porcus Novem<strong>be</strong>r/Decem<strong>be</strong>r 2010 39
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