Book Review - Dead Aid

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo: Economist Moyo, in simple and frank language, appeals to us in the west to stop pouring aid money into Africa since there is little to show for the billions that the continent has received over the last fifty years. She contends that charitable aid is worse than no aid at all since it fosters dependency and corruption in the governments which receive it. Dependency eliminates African entrepreneurship and stymies good governance when African governments must only answer to foreign donors and not to their own people. In short, aid has worsened African poverty. To pull donor money out of Africa is an opinion that I hear more and more, but it contends with the entrenched conviction that donor aid must actually be increased. In the second half of her book, Moyo, who was born and raised in Zambia, proposes solutions which work better than charity – including that of investing commercially in the continent as the Chinese are doing. That subject alone - the Chinese presence in Africa, is it helping or hurting? - is sure to create more heated discussion.

14-10-2009