The Woes of Haiti

Cholera outbreak in Haiti, this in Haiti, that in Haiti, Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. After the massive earthquake, at the beginning of this year, in January one would have hoped that Haiti was going to start afresh, with new thinking, a new attitude and new drive. The sympathy of the world was poured into Haiti like few other natural disasters in human history. There was a huge fund created for Haiti, and co chaired by none less than Bill Clinton.

According to reports US$777 million has been announced for projects to help build up Haiti, but unfortunately people do not realize it is not money that is important but rather the attitude. After the earthquake Haiti had an opportunity for a new beginning, but sometimes there is a block on people, Haiti like Africa has a leadership full of style and zero substance, full of hot air whilst people are suffering. Even giving Haiti a ten billion dollar gift would not help, why because the leaders want to make big announcements and have pictures taken of them by the western press, shaking Bill Clinton’s hand or Obama’s hand will not change the situation of the ordinary man in the street.

Haiti needed to change its laws to allow the people to be, free the markets and let people bring their skills and knowledge to the market and see for themselves what they can do. Free up the telecommunications sector, free up the media, free up the transport sector, free up power production, free up the wage sector, free up the labor market, create an environment inductive to local and foreign investment, it is not difficult, what in god’s name are they protecting in Haiti, broken down industries, broken down plantations, broken down infrastructure, broken down telecommunications sector, foolish indeed, by now having followed right policies Haiti’s economic growth for 2011 should have been around 10 – 15%, there is nothing there.

The government having freed up the people would concentrate on providing security for the people and building the infrastructure, stop giving places like Haiti money until they also step up for themselves, how on earth can a government that relies on donations believe it can give anything to every Haitian, let the Haitians create for themselves, last round I heard that due to demographics and structural changes in a Japan that has 5.1% unemployment needs a save place to relocate some of its industries, obviously Haiti is not a safe haven because they do not trust themselves.

Bhekuzulu Khumalo