Last night, when I posted the stored about Bill Gates and Tony Blair’s ridiculous “faith” that 2005 will be a “turning point” in the povert of Africa – I mentioned the story I was told of corruption in Malawi by a friend who lived there a few years ago. I asked him to check what I wrote and make corrections – which he did, and which I will post in the next paragraph:-

A friend of mine went on to Malawi (north of Zimbabwe) for four years – a few years back. He told me how money from Britain was donated for school books for the children. The Government of President Maluzi immediately took the money and spent it on Mercedes Benz cars for government Cabinet ministers & officials a total of (43)+/- 30 S-Class vehicle. Then when the British found out about this, they suspended donor funds until the situation was corrected. The then “sold” the Mercedes Benz cars at discounted prices to those officials and pledged the money to education. The books were then purchased, but instead of being given to the schools they were places in the local book shops to be purchased by the local community. So the children had to in fact purchase them and did not get them for free as had been intended!!!

Let me point out that Maluzi was a socialist… who claimed he was going to “help the people”… And this was how he did it.

My shocked friend, like many of us who live in Africa where we are witness to the wastage and corruption merely shake our heads at the thought of more aid coming to Africa. It is one of the biggest scams of all time. Billions of dollars of American, European and other foreign aid ends up being stolen or squandered. Very little ever reaches those it was intended for.

Jan