MODELS OF SUCCESS IN AFRICA

Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara, a Zimbabwean political figure and scholar has served as the President of a faction of the Movement for Democratic Change since February 2006, a position previously held by secretary general Welshman Ncube. The Movement for Democratic Change split in 2005 after a dispute over whether or not to participate in Zimbabwean parliamentary election. Born May 25, 1966, Mutambara was a strong voice in the Zimbabwean student movement in 1988 and 1989, leading anti-government protests at the University of Zimbabwe, which led to his eventual arrest and detention. He continued his education as a Rhodes scholar at Merton College, Oxford in the United Kingdom, obtaining a Ph.D. in Robotics and Mechatronics. In his field he had taught at a number of universities in the United States including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has published three books on engineering including: Design and Analysis of Control Systems, Decentralized Estimation, and Control for Multisensor Systems and Mechatronics and Robotics. Additionally, he has served as a professor of Business Strategy and as a consultant for the management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Since September 2003 he has worked as the Managing Director and CEO of Africa Technology and Business Institute.





Just to name a few: Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana and Senegal. Those are good examples. They’re having challenges, but they’re moving. South Africa has done well in terms of institution building. Mandela came and went. Mbeki is leaving in 2009. So at least that’s an achievement. Leaders are coming and going in Africa through democratic systems. Kofuor came to power through a democratic process. ________ economic reforms in Ghana. Things are moving. Mauritius. These are some very interesting examples of economic transformation. Africa has so much potential. Three drivers in Africa. One, natural resources. We have so many natural resources. We are the richest continent on planet earth. The problem is in terms of extracting those resources, refining those resources, and using those resources for the benefit of Africa. Secondly, human capital. There are so many well educated Africans who are in Europe, who are in America, who are in Africa. We have the potential in terms of human capital – excellent human capital. And that human capital can be used to drive African economies. Our infrastructure – not so great in some parts, but potentially it can be fixed. So using our natural resources, using our human capital, and using effective infrastructure and building new infrastructure, Africa can do well. And those examples I’ve indicated are an illustration that it’s possible for African countries to rise up and be players under globalization. Recorded On: 7/5/07