Insistence by donor governments on good governance as a precondition for aid often masked an unwillingness to contribute, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said on Thursday.
”Good governance is an objective of aid, it cannot be a precondition,” he said at a press conference winding up his three day state visit to Botswana.
Commenting on the situation in Zimbabwe, he and his host Botswana President Festus Mogae stressed that any solution to the problems of that country would have to come from within. Continued public criticism of President Robert Mugabe’s government would be counterproductive and force would not solve anything.
Dos Santos made clear that although his country was in desperate need of assistance to fund a massive reconstruction programme, it could not be through aid with such strings attached. In other African countries that had only generated continued instability.
”We must be patient, promises made by international donors during the war have not been forthcoming. The main effort is going to come from within our own country,” he said.
”I believe ‘good governance’ is used to mask the unwillingness to help. Developed nations can help African governments towards good governance but not by withholding aid. The monitoring of a country’s governance comes from its own Parliament, it is not something structured from outside the country. In such a concept it is subjective. Governments denied aid often cannot govern and this generates instability.”
Angola was a rich country but it needed further resources to pay for the rebuilding of its economy.
”We are rich, but our economy is badly depleted. Our source of revenue is oil, but that is not enough to fund reconstruction, we have to appeal for international assistance,” Dos Santos said.
Questioned on the seeming lack of action by Africa to find a solution to the situation in Zimbabwe, both presidents were insistent the issues would only be solved by the Zimbabweans themselves.
”Developments in Zimbabwe over the last two years have not been a matter of indifference to us. We have engaged the Zimbabwe government in quiet diplomacy,” Mogae said.
The intransigence of Mugabe was such that continued criticism of his policies would result only in him becoming more resistant to any changes.
”I have no doubt that would make him even more defiant and send him in the opposite direction,” Mogae said.
”Compromise between him and the opposition is the only solution.
The opposition cannot wish the government away and the government cannot get rid of the opposition, it will still be there. Both sides must be shown that by their actions they are only hurting themselves. We cannot dictate to either party.”
Dos Santos, also chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (Sadec), said he was anxious over the recent civil disturbances in Zimbabwe, due to strikes called by the opposition.
”We must make efforts to persuade the opposition not to use that type of action, it is not through force that there will be a solution in Zimbabwe,” he said. – Sapa