By Lilian
After several years when the phrase ‘HIPC completion point’ has become a routine jargon in public discourse – uttered by countless numbers of economic hit men and frequent fliers from the Bretton Woods, recited by nameless ministers and the political elite, regurgitated by an ever confused media – the phrase ‘HIPC completion point’ had become the butt of many jokes.
Wife: We should start shopping for Christmas.
Husband: Did you not know that Christmas has been postponed until after the HIPC completion point?
Buyer: Na how that meat dong dear today so?
Butcher: No worry, e go cheap after we reach HIPC point.
Cameroon finally reached the much touted HIPC completion point (See Press Release No. 06/85). Its reward? The writing-off of some 1 billion USD worth of debts. Supposedly, by debt cancellation, some much needed funds that were being drained into the abyss also known as debt servicing, would now be freed up for the state to invest in social services and alleviating poverty.
Fast forward to a couple of days later and, at the edge of the continent where a young democracy has rapidly grown into the continent’s best example of a transitional democracy (regardless of its discontents), an unlikely mix of civil society activists, government officials, academics and religious leaders gathered to launch the African Monitor in Cape Town. The new initiative, the result of a 10month consultation with civil society organisations, religious institutions, intergovernmental bodies, African governments and academia, seeks to monitor and map development initiatives around the continent. It will probe those in power about their development promises and whether development programmes are making an impact at the grassroots.
The Cape Town event was the first in a series of phased launches. Kigali, Accra and London are lined up with the London launch intended to ensure that the views of the continent’s rapidly growing diasporic community is taken on board and that their collective strength is harnessed to lobby and advocate where necessary. The Monitor will complement existing accountability mechanisms such as NEPAD’s Peer Review Mechanism. It will follow the donor money trail and bring the missing perspectives of the grassroots, African civil societies and the African diaspora into the global development debate.
At the helm of the new initiative is Cape Town’s Anglican archbishop, Njongonkulu Ndugane who was keen to point out that South Africa was the only African country that could speak to and with the international donor community without fear of reprisals. The man of God opined that the rest of the countries on the continent remained mum most of the time because opening the mouth too wide was enough to put off donors. How apt! How dare you bite the finger that feeds you?
This has been the dilemma for the HIPCs of this world. Positioned at the margins of the global political economy, succumbing to the dictates of the economic hit men seems the only way. If the Monitor is meant to take the powerful to task on their development pledges, and ensure that the continent’s politicians match rhetoric with action, Cameroon’s HIPC completion provides a good place to start. Let’s follow the money trail there and see where the freed up dough is going. It will be naively optimistic to consider that the club of pickpockets and their sidekicks who have been granted legitimacy by appointment to government positions, are not busy plotting their next set of off shore transfers. Spare a thought for those wives and families who endured Christmas and other family events being postponed till after the HIPC completion point and who must now be dancing HIPC hurray and silently making mental notes of what they will like for Christmas this year….
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