| The Ibrahim Index of African Governance, sponsored | | | | immediate fully functioning mature democracy. |
| by prominent business man Mo Ibrahim, makes | | | | Possibly one expects this because the ruling party, |
| fascinating reading. The results have just been | | | | the ANC, has achieved so much that one tends to |
| published. The BBC reports that Rwanda, in the | | | | set the sights high on all levels. |
| Index, has achieved the 'most improved' status. One | | | | One of the things I have always admired the most, |
| has to remember how this country was shattered | | | | was the exceptional planning that took place during |
| during and after the genocide in 1994 to fully grasp | | | | the apartheid years. One component of this planning |
| the significance of this achievement. | | | | was to send promising young people across the |
| What would probably surprise the West the most | | | | world to study in preparation for a take over. |
| though would be Zimbabwe's position at only 31 of | | | | It is often forgotten by the West that Bantu |
| 48 countries. South Africa scored a fifth place overall. | | | | Education was implemented by the white Nationalist |
| What probably knocks South Africa off a higher | | | | Government to ensure that young black people lived |
| score is the high crime rate. Number one spot was | | | | up to the idea of second rate citizens. How could one |
| awarded to Mauritius, second went to the Seychelles | | | | expect to take over a government, both national and |
| and third to Botswana. | | | | local, with people who had been disadvantaged in the |
| The results came just after I had read an article on | | | | educational system. In view of this, the achievements |
| Anton Harber's site 'The Harbinger'. He was writing | | | | have been nothing short of miraculous. |
| about the election battle in 1800 between Thomas | | | | Allowing for a reality check then across the |
| Jefferson and President John Adams in the USA. The | | | | continent, or at least sub-Sahara Africa, one may |
| American electoral system was fairly flawed in those | | | | realise that after all young African nations are entitled |
| days, and even now the faulty electoral college | | | | to struggle to implement democracy, curtail |
| remains in place, which contributed to Al Gore being | | | | corruption and support human rights for all its citizens. |
| pipped at the post by Bush Jnr. | | | | In the scheme of things fifty or so years since |
| The point he was making was that South Africa was | | | | booting out the colonial powers, is no time at all. |
| not the first young democracy to have an imperfect | | | | Many, such as South Africa with its first general and |
| electoral system, the Americans also struggling just | | | | democratic election only 13 years ago, have had |
| over 200 hundred years ago. In time the hick-ups will | | | | much less time to establish healthy democracies. |
| be ironed out and an electoral system will evolve that | | | | One may say that war and political turmoil in African |
| will work more smoothly. It will also take some time | | | | countries is damaging the continent. But can one say |
| for politicians to find their feet, for some kind of | | | | that the rest of the world is any better? What |
| moral code to be established, journalists and bloggers | | | | America's Bush is up to in Iraq might just make any |
| to be, hopefully, more neutral in their reporting. | | | | of the nasty activities in some of the countries in |
| We tend to expect that South Africa will be an | | | | Africa, such as Darfur, fade into the background. |