BBC Focus on Africa Magazine

On its 40th birthday, Swaziland doesn't have much to celebrate.

The palace secretary claims that his nation is progressive, but the economy is in a downturn, unemployment is rising, HIV and Aids infection is high and the opposition has been stifled.

To add insult to injury, the country is one of the only African nations practising monarchy in the 21st century.

I was shocked when I learnt that the Swazi king went to school in the UK. If he is promoting indigenous culture, as his secretary claims, why did he get a Western education?

There is a need for democratic rule in the country and our UK-educated monarch must be made aware of this.

Mac-Edwin Ifeanyi Obi, Aba, Nigeria

Hitting the wrong notes

Kate Eshelby did a poor job in her interview with Alicia Keys.

I knew she was white by the questions she asked – "Do you really see Africa as your motherland?", "Do you really think people relate to your music?" She is truly out of touch with how many African Americans feel toward the continent of Africa.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not a fan of Keys' music, but I was insulted by Eshelby's questions.

Find someone else to interview African Americans in Africa next time, someone who knows about 'our' experience and desire for connection with home.

Let Eshelby cover and photograph the negative topics, and find someone else for cultural connections.

Kendall Glover, Chicago, USA

Misused music

I read the article on how the famous foreign musician Alicia Keys is helping in the campaign to provide some African countries with anti-retroviral drugs for HIV and Aids patients.

I compliment her on her efforts to help the African continent in the provision of drugs.

However, I don't think this should be used as another occasion for foreign musicians to liaise with Western pharmaceutical companies to use innocent Africans as guinea pigs for their new drugs.

Sena Nani, Ayanfuri, Ghana

Let the world know

It is such a shame that the BBC is not telling the world about the current political situation in Cameroon.

I do not want to believe that our corrupt government has oiled the mouth of the BBC, for it is the habit of corrupt governments to silence influential media.

Let the world know that this is a country that has legalised corruption, bribery, tribalism and evil as a whole.

Let the world know that the present head of state has been in power for over 26 years and has changed the constitution to become life president.

Kanjo Etienne, Bamenda, Cameroon

Self-hate not allowed

Kwame A Insaidoo, should get out of his ivory tower. Kwame may have grown to despise his own race but others such as myself see many African nations slowly evolving and trying to bring about good and accountable governance.

Every African nation is an artificial construct – a Northern Ireland, within a Yugoslavia within a Caucasus.

Our purpose in colonial days was to exist as cheap labour, supplying raw materials for the benefit of white colonialists and Europe.

So please can Kwame not describe those countries as "well-governed"? Any dissent was crushed, leaders were exiled and villagers had their homes destroyed and land stolen.

The sooner current leaders and intellectuals look away from Western standards and employ some of the old pre-colonial methods of conflict resolution and consensus, the sooner a peaceful form of nationhood can be installed.

Africa must rid itself of Mugabe and his ilk, but it must also rid itself of self-haters like Kwame A Insaidoo.

Nana Ferguson, London, United Kingdom

Africa's true picture

I want to commend Mukoma Wa Ngugi for his masterpiece in the July-September edition of Focus on Africa magazine. It is indeed a true picture of the African reality.

I strongly believe that unless political injustice is addressed, unless economic justice is aggressively pursued, unless social justice is entrenched in our society, unless, unless, unless... nationhood cannot really be achieved.

I only hope that our leaders will not close their ears to this clarion call to action.

Uchenna Eze, Enugu, Nigeria

Elitist boom

I can't help responding in support of Ronald Snijders' well-articulated letter in your last issue with respect to the Zambian scenario.

I think his assessment was accurate and to the point.

As Ronald rightly pointed out most, if not all, the profits are externalised, leaving the natives poorer and empty-handed.

Working conditions are also terrible, unlike for the elite who enjoy all the deal outcomes while the rest languish in abject poverty.

Meanwhile, the country is fast rushing back to the debt trap. Does that suggest a boom?

Billy C Sichone, Mpika, Zambia

This is a selection of letters published in the October - December 2008 edition of Focus on Africa magazine.

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