Book Review: Looting Africa

Read on 9 February 2011

Published on 16 April 2007

Andreas Spath

I’m a big fan of Patrick Bond and have read several of his books, including Fanon’s Warning, Talk Left, Walk Right and Against Global Apartheid.

He has been one of the most consistently outspoken progressive voices and establishment critics in South and Southern Africa in the last few years. He combines grassroots activism with cutting-edge political and economic analysis and constantly illuminates crucial connections between the global north and south.

His books are, however, very technical, academic and dry and if you are not a political economist, you may find them rather heavy going. I’m left to wonder how much more impact and influence his work would have if it was more accessible to ordinary people. To people like myself the economic jargon tends to obscure rather than clarify matters…

Having said that, his latest book, Looting Africa – The Economics of Exploitationshould be required reading for anyone who’s concerned about Africa’s future. In it, Bond basically addresses the question “Why is Africa still poor?”.

At the beginning of the book, Bond presents two opposing answers. The first, which is widely pushed by the liberal press and establishment, is that “Africa is poor, ultimately, because its economy has not grown…”. The second states that “Africa is poor, ultimately, because its economy and society have been ravaged by international capital as well as by local elites who are often propped up by foreign powers…”.

Obviously Bond is a proponent of the latter answer and he proceeds to present data and analysis to demonstrate that Africa’s poverty is not only a result of historic evils such as slavery and colonial-era extraction of resources and profits, but that comparable processes do in fact continue today “in an amplified way” via debt repayments and “African elites [who] have transferred their society’s liquid reserves to oversees accounts on an even greater scale [...]“.

Among other issues, Bond discusses the continuing African foreign debt crisis, unequal and unfair trade and investment relationships, the role of the Bretton Woods institutions (International Monetary Fund and World Bank), China’s growing influence on the continent and South Africa’s increasingly sub-imperial role.

Looting Africa concludes with an assessment of the two predominant views on how to fight Africa’s continued impoverishment, either through paternalistic mainstream efforts (Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Make Poverty History, “Live 8″) or through radical grassroots civil society movements.

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Another review:

Ronald Elly Wanda - 8/10/2007

My journey from London to Durban (on the south coast of South Africa) that usually takes about 14 hours felt like a short matatu (taxi) ride from Kaloleni to Kawangware in Nairobi. Thanks to Elite Transition, the last book by Patrick Bond that I read during the long-haul flight to the southern fraction of our beautiful continent. The book, appropriately titled, fast forwarded my existing knowledge of contemporary South African politics that came in handy during my active albeit short stay in Durban and later Johannesburg.

So naturally, I was inclined to read his latest book on an interesting subject “corruption” and the plunder of our continent’s resources. Most of us with East African derivation, understand if not sympathise with corruption which is often referred to as the “toa kitu kidogo” and or “chai” culture. Once upon a time in East Africa, whether in Kampala, Nairobi or Bujumbura (I’m not sure about Kigali) one had to part with their hard earned cash just to access public services. I mean the bribery of officials (government or otherwise) was a common phenomenon. Optimistically, since the re-birth of the East African Community, things are slowly but surely improving.

Therefore, Patrick Bond’s latest book “Looting Africa: The economics of Exploitation”, at a mere 172

Pages serve a useful purpose for any person seriously interested in understanding our continent’s economical position in the age of globalisation.

In the book, Bond rightly notes that Africa has been exploited for centuries and this continues today. He is also absolutely right in his cynicism of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his ‘Africa Commission’, whilst the Live8 concerts and the Make Poverty History campaigns, although they had good intentions, he argues that they had no impact.

Looting Africa is similar in writing to Bond’s other books (especially Elite Transition) and academic papers in tone, style and deliverance.

Patrick Bond, who is professor of Development Economics at the Kwa-Zulu Natal University in South Africa, elucidates proficiently on what he sees as the central problems that blight Africa’s economic and political environment, namely debts and an unbalanced financial relationship with the advanced world. He goes on to label this relation “Phantom aid”, because, he argues, it contains unfair trade, distorted investment and has been the cause of the continent’s brain drain and skill shortage.

Bond quiet rightly goes on to argue that neo- liberal reforms have stimulated the rise of the exceptionally dominant elites in Africa. In Kenya, the continuity of the Mois’, the Kenyattas’ the Odingas’ et al is blatant evidence of this. Whilst in Uganda, the Kaguta clan and his paid regiment stand out. Overall, Bond sees all these as exemplifying the ‘Looting’ of the continent. It reminds one of the beautiful fruit yet ugly term: “Coconut”.

Having said all that, there are a number of issues that the professor raises in the book, but fails to adequately address. For instance how do we attract Foreign Direct investment? Or how do we prevent Wanainchis’ (Africans) hard work benefiting others? It is now almost common knowledge that the money leaving Africa is more than what Africa owes (which according to the UN stands at $300billion). Bond is right when he argues that the debt, owed by the continent, should be wiped clean. The problem according to Bond is that those engaged in the serious acts of corruption, are still in power. And rightly so, if we look at Uganda we see examples of the mis-handling of the Global Aids Fund by some high profile individuals, in Kenya the Goldenberg and Anglo-Leasing scandals, those implicated have either been exonerated and are sadly still at the centre of government. 

The research by bond raises another important question, given that there are over 100,000 African millionaires on the continent, worth more around $600 billion in total, how poor is Africa? I certainly agree with him that there needs to be far greater commitment to racking down and returning illicit capital flight from Africa, most of it stashed in here in London and Europe. . The book forces the reader to start asking rigid questions about the moral/ethical practises of the entire western banking sector. This is because clearly, they are seriously involved in the wholesome looting of our continent. Another problem that the book doesn’t address also is the lack of domestic hegemony in Africa. Within the majority of African political systems, those at the apex (the patrons) are unable to impose their hegemony and thus depend on periodic largesse to buy acquiescence.

Whilst Bond’s book points out at a great deal of valuable information and a compelling critique of Africa’s place in the world, it does not offer a clear set of alternative. Conclusively, it should be pointed out that Black Africa is currently experiencing a growth rate that in 2005 was equal to the overall rate of growth that the entire developing world has experienced since 2000. The grand question is, in spite of some elements of corruption, are we going to continue letting local collaborators and foreign agents continue to plunder and enjoy the hard labours of the mwanainchi?

Ronald Elly Wanda is a political scientist working as a policy officer with a London-based NGO. He has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in political science.