African aid: more mercs for jerks

Outstanding editorial on what Africa needs, by someone actually writing from Africa. It covers the ridiculously expensive cars preferred by African strong men, the gap between rich and poor africans, and what has and hasn't worked. Required reading, as a friend of mine says.

Africa's leaders cannot wait for the G8 leaders - hectored by rock star Bob and his Live8 concerts into bracelet-wearing submission - to double aid and forgive the continent's debts. They know that such acts of generosity will finance their future purchases of very swish, customised Mercedes-Benz cars, while 315 million poor Africans stay without shoes and Western taxpayers get by with Hondas. This is the way it goes with the WaBenzi, a Swahili term for the Big Men of Africa.

After joyriding their way through six Marshall Plans worth of aid, Africa is poorer today than 25 years ago