Clark Kent, I agree with your last statement, but not really with the others. Certainly regimes can have a large impact on the wellbeing of the people. I guess my comments re population are more aimed at north-east Africa (think Ethiopia and Sudan), than southern Africa. Rhodesia may have been prosperous, but mainly for its white farmers and businessmen. Blacks were seen as slave labour to prop-up the profits of the white business machine at any cost and were rarely allowed to profit from business of any kind. And no, I'm not a lefty, quite the opposite actually. I just think that change on the scale that is required is not something that we should be seeking to achieve in a generation. Afterall, our western society and its attitudes towards democracy and fairness have developed over many centuries, so why should we expect other nations to develop any faster. Note also that not all african nations are write-offs. Take Botswana for example: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/africa/botswana/
, proving that handing over to black governments isnt necessarily a recipe for disaster.

I know someone who has a very close association with a "refugee camp" for unaccompanied children in Zambia. It is run by a friend of hers and, over the years, they have built up a system to get assistance directly to this wonderful nun. It has taken an enormous amount of work and they still need to pay some bribes but they are, fortunately, minimal.
They once had their lorry hijacked by the army from Zaire - nun then told a distant cousin who was an officer in that army that she expected the lorry back in the camp by morning with everything on it or she would personally ask the Pope to excommunicate him. Lorry was back in camp and the only thing they lost was 3 tins of powdered milk.
Why am I telling you all this? Because aid can get through to those who need it but you need to know the people personally and you need to put a great deal of time and effort in to working on a way of getting it there. Cath says that she would not donate to organisations like World Vision because so much of the money is wasted. She knows that her efforts see her nun friend get about 90-95% of the money she raises. (Cath has other contacts in other places too and works on the same principle....aid organisations could learn a lot from people like her but they are too busy thinking how wonderful they are.) I no longer donate to organisations like World Vision...especially given the money they waste on advertising.

TRTL,
Zimbabwe is a country half the size of South Africa, I personally had the pleasure of working there, s'funny, "pleasure" doesn't seem to have the same meaning after having actually seen what has transpired there, since 1994.

South Africa will go exactly the same way as Zimbabwe, it will just take a little longer due to it having more land area and more provences to govern.
When Mandela was released in 1994, it was a go-ahead for promise's to be dealt-out, for the people that worshipped him while he was on the inside, it was also the go-ahead for every uneducated, tin shack dwelling half-wit, to run for government, to take a government position and shout the odds from a leather covered throne. Degrees are handed-out randomly for gain and this was a proven fact. Elections are a farce, corrupt, as with Zimbabwe and what do you end-up with?, a country ridden with starvation, violence, total nation fall-out and although they were warned of the coming strife, the government sat back and fed off those who elected them into power.

It took America close on 300 years to get to where it is at present with racism, governmental control etc..(well..nearly there) and South Africa thinks they can achieve this in 20 years?

James Purser, I didn’t intend you to take it that I equated conscience with colour. But, seriously, would you expect black people to donate aid to the dispossessed whites? What is your position on the Aussie farmers and the drought?

While many dispossessed have found refuge, many more white farmers are still in Zimbabwe, struggling to cope with the viscious assaults from “black veterans” who want to steal their land. These people can’t just leave as there are severe restrictions to what they could take with them, leaving most of their possessions behind.

As for your defence of Mandella, have you heard of “the necklace”?

Country Gal, to be precise, the black governments that are ruining everything are the socialist/communist or communist backed ones. As you wrote, “handing over to black governments isnt necessarily a recipe for disaster “ and not all fit into that category. Only the reds.

The best contraception invented is education, if 5% of what the USA wastes on the military was spent on education in the Third World we wouldn't have a problem, don't say why should they?, because they get rich by selling arms to these countries thats why, and that is another moral question, why is the west selling arms to countries that can't feed, clothe, house and educate their people

Clark

Yes I've heard of the Necklace, however I think you've got the wrong Mandela. It was Winnie Mandela that made the infamous "Matches and Necklaces" comment.

As to my position on the plight facing our farming community? Country Gal and I have discussed this at length. I support our farmers and will support any long term plan to assist them either get back on their feet, or diversify into other areas.