Immediately above is a man who says he can cure AIDS and is in the process of administering the cure. In his right hand is the Koran. The treatment regimen includes abstinence from tea, tobacco, alcohol, sex and the most advanced anti-viral medications. The man says he only has the power to cure AIDS on Thursdays. This post is based partly on an article in Der Spiegel from which the photograph is taken. The article can be found at http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,485715,00.html.
The photograph at top is of the same man addressing the United Nations as a head of state. The man is Yahya Jammeh, President of Gambia. He has been in power since effecting a coup in 1994. According to the website http://www.afrol.com/ he received 69% of the vote in the September 2006 presidential election. I don't know how free the election was.
"Leadership" like this is not unique in Sub-Saharan Africa a region comprising forty-two countries where AIDS is the number one health problem in each. Even in dynamic South Africa floridly ignorant beliefs on AIDS have been expressed byformer vice president Jacob Zuma, South Africa's Minister of Health and president Thabo Mbeki.
Poor governance contributes mightily to Africa's many problems. This is Public Occurrences.
"public occurrences"
"public occurrences"
