Scary sh*t, isn’t it

Dateline Harare Zimbabwe

Not only are the sewers broken and bursting around here, not only are the streets potholed and lined with litter but there’s more sh*t on the way.

The Americans are putting on hold their aid to Africa and beyond.

By far our and the world’s biggest aid donor, their new order is gearing up to be tough with distant lands, especially those whose governance, economic management and transparency fall far short of perceived standards. 

The first casualty will probably be the fight against HIV/AIDS with the suspension of George W Bush’s Pepfar programme (US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) which has saved an estimated 20 million lives worldwide through providing anti-retroviral drugs, condoms, blood testing and safe-sex advice. (Remember Reagan’s free condoms known as ”Ronnie’s rubbers” in the early 1980s as the AIDS crisis fully took hold.)  

Washington’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation will also have consequences by stopping its largest funding (18 percent compared to single digit percentages from Germany, the second biggest, and China) towards research and prevention of tropical diseases and helping with outbreaks of cholera and suchlike caused by collapsed water supplies, sewage and hospital infrastructure in countries such as Zimbabwe. 

Official stats show Zimbabwe received US$ 360 million in American aid for health care in 2024.

The idea behind stopping this aid is to get corrupt leaders give up their luxuries and pay to improve domestic health services with their wealth stolen from abundant natural resources.    

Fat chance. Nice idea, but It simply doesn’t work that way. Survival of the richest is the order of the day in these countries. And when these people are taken ill they go abroad for First World treatment..

Scary sh*t happens. Look out for to the coming deluge of more

The sh*tscape already:

Palestinians heading to the ruins of their homes, no water, no food and no medicine, in Gaza.