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INSIDE AFRICA
INSIDE AFRICA
Aired January 18, 2003 - 12:30:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUMI MAKGABO, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The return of the generals. Former military leaders are making a comeback in Nigerian politics, as they try to regain control of the presidential palace. And this time, it's through the ballot box.
Growing dissent in Swaziland as the people defy tradition and challenge the monarchy.
In our business spotlight this week, the Bafokeng kingdom, its platinum reserves and their future.
And, from the tracks to the classroom. Kenyan Olympic champion Kip Keino and his heroic efforts to help the children of his hometown prepare for their tomorrows.
These stories and more coming up on this edition of INSIDE AFRICA.
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Hello, and welcome to the program. I'm Tumi Makgabo.
Our focus this week is Nigeria, where the electioneering is heating up. Parties are choosing candidates in preparation for presidential elections scheduled for April. This will be the first such elections since the return to civilian rule in 1999. Before then, Nigerians clamored for democratic rule, blaming successive military dictators for the problems of the country.
But a quick glance at the political landscape now reveals that little has changed for the mighty generals still very much in the running.
Here's Jeff Koinange in Abuja.
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JEFF KOINANGE, CNN LAGOS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Nigeria's presidential lineup reads like a who's who of its military past. First, there's the incumbent, himself a former military head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian from one of the country's dominant Yoruba tribes. Obasanjo appears likely to retain his seat if the election were held today.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, NIGERIAN PRESIDENT: I'd say that there are only things that may make anybody want to be president here: a mission and -- a sense of mission and commitment to a sense of mission or an ulterior motive.
KOINANGE: Tell that to the challengers, among them: General Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler from Nigeria's mainly Muslin north and an advocate of sharia, the Islamic law based on teachings in the Quran and practiced in a third of Nigeria's 36 states.
GEN. MUHAMMADU BUHARI, ALL NIGERIA PEOPLE'S PARTY: I found out (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I can contribute now towards (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of my country (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And of course, I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) highest office in the land.
KOINANGE: A third general is the flag bearer of the National Democratic Party and a veteran of Nigerian politics. General Ike Nwachukwu, whose Igbo father and Hausa Fulani mother, two other dominant tribes here, means he has broad appeal from both sides of the country's religious and ethnic divide.
GEN. IKE NWACHUKWU, NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY: I am the bridge between the north and the south, the east and the west, the young and the old (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And I believe that I can turn this country around.
KOINANGE: Next up, the man referred to as the people's general, Chukwu Emeka Ojukwu. He's better known as the man who almost caused the breakup of Nigeria in a viciously fought civil war 35 years ago that left over a million dead and a nation in tatters. He now says he's a changed man and is ready to right the wrongs of the past.
CHUKWU EMEKA OJUKWU, ALL PROGRESSIVE GRAND ALLIANCE: If the objective of the exercise were really truly (ph) Ojukwu president, I might worry about that. But the objective of the exercise is the repair of Nigeria.
KOINANGE: And waiting in the wings is General No. 5, former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida, the man seen by many here as the one most likely to give President Obasanjo a run for his money should he throw his hat in the ring. For now though, the smiling gap-toothed general is keeping his cards close to his chest, leaving the rest of the field guessing whether he'll once again seek the country's highest office.
All this makes for an interesting political scenario, one that has many here wondering whether it's only former generals who are qualified to govern one of Africa's most violent and unpredictable countries.
WOLE SOYINKA, NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATE: Well, it's obvious the military is like a secret cult. There are a lot of secret cults in this country, but really I think it's the military which is the exemplar of the secret cults. And it's worse than sort of an old boys' club, and they look after one another's interests. They accumulate a lot of power, lots of money, and it is in their interest to continue to protect their rear.
KOINANGE: Soyinka insists this present lineup could set a dangerous precedent for future elections.
SOYINKA: What we're watching is a relay race, in which one military person hands over the baton to the next. And it's like politics for the military has become a game of survival, of their own personal survival.
KOINANGE: So far, the latest polls show Obasanjo with a comfortable lead over his former military colleagues, but the elections are three months away, and even the incumbent knows a lot can happen between now and polling day.
OBASANJO: I have never taken anything for granted, and of course, people postulate and even say things, but the test of the pudding really is in the eating.
KOINANGE (on camera): And the eating of their so-called pudding won't happen for another three months. And despite the lack of a clear-cut challenger among the candidates, one thing we can be sure of is that Nigeria's next president will most certainly be a former army general. Which army general it will turn out to be is something few here are willing to predict, at least for now.
In Abuja, Nigeria, I'm Jeff Koinange for INSIDE AFRICA.
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MAKGABO: For more on the Nigerian elections, visit our Web site at cnn.com/insideafrica. While you're there, remember to take part in our quick vote on the subject. The address once again for you, cnn.com/insideafrica.
And coming up after the break, a report on growing dissent in Swaziland, and reaping the benefits of its platinum reserves, the African nation and its visions for tomorrow. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MAKGABO: And welcome back.
Old traditions are still very much alive in Swaziland, where the monarchy maintains absolute power. But lately, the tiny kingdom has been faced with a series of problems from growing corruption to a deteriorating economic situation. So, many are going against the odds and challenging the monarchy. Just this week, an alliance of civil servants, teachers and church activists called on the government to urgently address what they call the disastrous state of affairs.
We get more now from Charlayne Hunter-Gault in Mbabane.
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CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN JOHANNESBURG BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): King Mswati III, often identified as the last absolute monarch in Sub- Saharan Africa, increasingly identified by critics as a despot, plunging his tiny mountain kingdom into lawlessness.
JA BROWDE, FORMER APPEALS COURT JUDGE: What has happened is that the rule of law has been completely disregarded.
HUNTER-GAULT: Leaving him and the rest of the judges on the country's appeals court to resign en masse last December. The action following the court's ruling that the king had no authority to promulgate laws by decree. The government vowed to ignore the ruling.
SIBUSISO OLAMINI, SWAZI PRIME MINISTER: It's really a recipe for confusion.
HUNTER-GAULT: The king inherited a government whose rules had been laid down by his father, the former king. He abolished what he called the foreign constitution, inherited from the British when Swaziland was a protectorate. He banned political parties, but in 1978, he decreed an elected parliament with power to make laws.
OLAMINI: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but it's a serious threat to the rule of law.
HUNTER-GAULT: But the U.S. government recently warned that without reforms, the country could lose its U.S. trade benefits.
(on camera): Swaziland's garment industry employs some 20,000 people, and the demand for their product is growing. In fact, industry executives say if they had the factories, they could absorb just about all of Swaziland's unemployed.
(voice-over): That's some 40 percent of this tiny country of one million, but the cash-strapped government is no longer building factories as a lure to investors, dimming prospects for future employment.
Close to 300,000 Swazis are facing starvation from the region's drought. Making it worse, HIV/AIDS, hitting 1 in 4 Swazis.
The king's detractors took to the streets in December and will again this month, protesting the king's plans to buy a $45 million private jet.
JAN SITHOLE, SWAZI FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS: This is what we call self-centered priorities, which ignore the realities on the ground for the electorate and the citizens of the country.
HUNTER-GAULT: Government officials say no programs will be hurt by the jet purchase.
A long-delayed new constitution, commissioned by royal decree, is expected in the next few months, but already critics believe it will merely entrench traditional rights. They could be right.
OLAMINI: Swazis have been (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The last five years, there has been a consultation process. And the Swazi community has spoken loud and clear that the Swazi citizens do not want to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They would (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the state has called to continue.
HUNTER-GAULT: Critics have vowed to challenge what they call the palace constitution, if there is a court to hear it.
Charlayne Hunter-Gault for INSIDE AFRICA in Mbabane, Swaziland.
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MAKGABO: And turning our attention now to your money, taking a look at how it fared this week. Nadia Bilchik has that.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Tumi. It's good to be back.
And since this is our first business segment of the year, let's take a look at some projections.
The world's best and worst performing economies may all be in Africa this year, and that's according to a recent forecast on GDP growth by their economist intelligence unit.
Thanks to its oil and gas industries, Equatorial Guinea is expected to have the world's highest economic growth, 12.5 percent. The country produces about 200,000 barrels of oil a day, and new fields going on line later this year will increase output by about 30 percent.
Black gold is also behind Chad's galloping GDP growth. The economy is expected to grow by nearly 10 percent as its Doba (ph) region oil fields begin to produce. A pipeline now under construction will carry the oil to neighboring Cameroon for export.
Agriculture is a critical component of Mozambique's economy, which is forecast to balloon 9 percent this year. Five years ago, Mozambique posted the world's lowest gross national product after years of civil war. Now, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mining is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) big interests from foreign investors. It accounts for more than 50 percent of the country's total exports.
The world's worst economies may also be in Africa. Zimbabwe is expected to be the weakest performer this year, contracting by almost 9 percent. Inflation continues to rocket, hitting 100 percent in 2001, as Harahe sinks further and further into political and economic chaos.
The outlook for Liberia is also bleak with analysts predicting that the GDP will slide 8 percent.
Congo Brazzaville's economy is expected to shrink by -2.5 percent, with an unstable political climate. Oil reserves of more than 1.5 billion may not be enough to prevent the decline.
And in our business spotlight this week, the Royal Bafokeng nation, the monarchy within South Africa's democracy is a modern-day African success story. Thanks to rich mineral resources and solid leadership, the Bafokeng has amassed huge wealth.
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BILCHIK (voice-over): The streets of Phokeng, the administrative capital of the Royal Bafokeng nation, looks more like a flashy urban suburb rather than your traditional South African rural village. This land sits above the world's second largest platinum reserves, mined by Impala Platinum.
The kingdom earns handsome royalties from the platinum miners. The royalty payments have laid the foundation for relative prosperity and independence.
There are many more visible signs of the nation's wealth. Every house here has electricity and sanitation, and no homes are mortgaged.
There's a multimillion (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shopping center with a cinema and entertainment hall. Next to it is a state-of-the-art sports stadium, complete with a swimming pool and tennis courts.
The Royal Bafokeng administration, which functions as the local government, administers the nations' wealth.
At 31, Prince Bothata Molotlegi heads the administration and is responsible for implementing Bafokeng's 20-year development plan, Vision 2020.
PRINCE BOTHATA MOLOTLEGI, ROYAL BAFOKENG ADMINISTRATOR: Vision 2020 really just means that by the year 2020, and I like to think of it as 2020 and beyond, we'd like to have every Bafokeng, which means every member of the community, to be self-sufficient. And one might ask, what does that mean really? And we're just look at improving the quality of life.
BILCHIK: Semane Molotlegi is the queen mother of the Bafokeng nation. She attributes its success in part to a lack of corruption.
SEMANE MOLOTLEGI, QUEEN MOTHER: I am proud to say that we haven't seen any of the poison that has been (UNINTELLIGIBLE) out, because corruption is one of the downfalls of other countries, of the villages. So, I'm just hoping that we maintain that.
BILCHIK: With an estimated 10 billion (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in mining assets, the Bafokeng are taking their first steps towards becoming a South African mining giant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Tumi, did you realize that Prince Bothata is only 31, which makes him young, eligible and handsome?
And finally, our African currency update. The Nigerian naira recorded its first appreciation of the week, gaining ground against the dollar. It now trades at 129 to the dollar, and around 207 to the pound.
That's a look at your money. I'm Nadia Bilchik.
Tumi -- back to you.
MAKGABO: All right, Nadia, thank you very much.
And still to come on INSIDE AFRICA, Femi Oka takes us belly dancing at an exotic North African restaurant, and we profile Kenyan's athletic hero, Kip Keino. That's all coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MAKGABO: Hello again.
Looking for a slice of North African cuisine? Well, for those lucky travelers who happen to stop over in the United States city of Atlanta, it's all waiting for you. Exotic dining with a mix of belly dancing at the Moroccan Imperial Fez restaurant, and that's where we find our Femi Oka.
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FEMI OKA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You leave your shoes at the front door and eat with your hands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you use your fingers like you're shooting marbles. So, you go like this.
OKA: Let your belly hang out for a few hours, and then sit around on the floor. It sounds more like a night in than a night out, but this is dining out Moroccan style. At the Imperial Fez restaurant, a little spice from Africa has blown into Atlanta. Guests are pampered with rose-scented water to wash their hands in and handed a white fluffy towel. Think of it as a heavy-duty napkin for a major five-course blowout.
In the kitchen, chef and owner Rafih Benjelloun lets his cooking speak for itself.
Diners beam when the restaurant specialty arrives, belly dancing every night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And usually the first reaction is, oh!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And by the end of the evening, they're usually up and dancing with us.
OKA: And for those who dance their prowess on the dance floor, you can grab a quick lesson in between courses.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) anybody lost their food.
OKA: Celebrity diners have included Muhammad Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, plus a couple of former presidents.
RAFIH BENJELLOUN, RESTAURANTEUR: He's a Noble laureate, you know, Jimmy Carter, God bless him.
OKA: Did he sit on the floor and take his shoes off?
BENJELLOUN: Oh, he loved it. He talked about his experience in Morocco. He talked about his experience in Morocco. He talked about his visit with King Hassan.
OKA (voice-over): For $45 a head, the Imperial Fez serves up more than just a taste of Morocco. It offers a little of the experience of it, too.
Femi Oka, holding her stomach in for INSIDE AFRICA.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MAKGABO: Doing it only as Femi can.
Well, finally this week is the start of our 12-part series on Africa's sport heroes. Each week, we'll profile a person or a team who has made a difference in the sporting world, while at the same time, impacting the lives of ordinary Africans.
Today, it's Kip Keino, the Kenyan Olympic champion who returned to his hometown after retirement to care for abandoned children.
Graham Joffe (ph) has his story.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kenyans of all ages continue to sing the praises of Kip Keino. The athletic great could have chosen a life of leisure and luxury. Instead, he and his wife, Phyllys, have put their time and energy and financial resources into providing a home for abandoned children in Eldoret.
KIP KEINO, FORMER OLYMPIC CHAMPION: They need to have a father and mother and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) them, laugh, and see their future. We are happy to see them growing and having a better future, because when they don't have anybody to take care of them, they will die. So, we feel that we are doing something to our society.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on camera): When did you meet Kip?
PHYLLYS KEINO, KIP'S WIFE: Way back before 1970. Yes, and we got married and I had children, and I also started (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the abandoned children since 1972. Up until now, I still keep on taking them when the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) arises.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your own children, what are they doing at the moment?
P. KEINO: My own children, the first three finished college, and three of them -- no, four of them are runners, and two of them are still in school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): The children's home is a nucleus of a three-part program, which includes the Kip Keino school and Baraka farm agricultural development. The school opened its doors in 1999, and at present, there are nearly 300 children from the Eldoret area getting a well-rounded education.
PAUL SCOTT, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR: All of the classrooms for the children are fully equipped, together with a teacher's resource room, a well-equipped library, a computer room, and science rooms, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) science rooms and the art-and-craft room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Kip Keino school is supported by several large organizations, thanks in large to the relationships Kip has built up over the years. And under Kip Keino's watchful eye, the school continues to grow. A multi-purpose hall and kitchen are currently being built to form part of the future boarding facilities, and eventually a running track and swimming pool will be added to the complex.
Construction is also very prominent at the 500-acre Baraka farm. The agricultural development, designed to support the Kip Keino's Children's Home with fresh grains, vegetables, meat and milk, will soon be the home and training ground for some future Kenyan athletic stars.
K. KEINO: We need to work hard as a country. We need to develop, we need (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to talk. We need to improve the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We need to go back to the youths, and the youths, they will grow up. With this school, they will be able to perform well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kip Keino was born in 1940 in Kipsamo in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. His mother died when he was just 3, and he was sent to live and work on his uncle's farm until he gained entrance to school at the age of 12, and it was only then that the running legend was born.
K. KEINO: Well, running was part of my school curriculum, part of the school. There was no aim of going for any (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ph), but running for fun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City were to be Keino's showcase. His plan was to run in the 10,000, 5,000 and 1,500 meter races, a Herculean task for any athlete, let alone Kip Keino. His Olympic dream was about to be destroyed by a gallbladder infection.
His first event was the 10,000, and Keino was in the lead pack with two laps to go before collapsing in pain. Four days later, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) won silver in the 5,000, but the best was still to come in the 1,500.
Keino stayed in the Olympic Village on race day, but as the start drew near, he became restless and decided to go against doctor's advice.
K. KEINO: I was behind from the beginning. I was the last one, and Chinga (ph) was second-last. After the first lap, the second lap I took off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ryun was in the middle of a three-year winning streak in the 1,500, but an ailing Keino had the right medicine, a quick start and Ryun's vaunted closing kick was neutralized. Gold to Kipchoge Keino of Kenya, with silver for Ryun 20 meters back.
(on camera): What does it feel like to be married to a guy that he's just worshiped around the world?
P. KEINO: I think it's great. It's great. It's great fun and especially, you know, meeting people like you.
K. KEINO: Well, what I need is to see our youths improve. We need to deliver the youths of this country, and we need also to deliver up the youths of the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Kip Keino is undoubtedly one of the world's greatest role models, not because of all of the trophies he's won, but because of the so many lives he has touched.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MAKGABO: That was Graham Joffe (ph) reporting.
The INSIDE AFRICA team, as always, wants to hear from you, so please do send us your comments to insideafica@cnn.com. Remember, your response could be used on a future broadcast. Don't forget your name and which country you are writing to us from.
And that's a look INSIDE AFRICA for this week. Thanks for joining us. I'm Tumi Makgabo.
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