EU aid helps to heal the scars of apartheid in a changing South Africa

Date: 22/01/1998

By Mark Turner

EUROPEANS feeling guilty about their continent's apparent failure to support South Africa through its post-apartheid era can at least take some solace.

Since 1996, the European Union has committed 125 million ecu a year to support health workers, small business and public administrators during the country's lean years of economic transition.

Although the European Programme for Reconstruction and Development (EPRD) is small beside South Africa's total development needs, it is larger than any package provided by other global powers, and could be considered a relative act of generosity by an increasingly budget-conscious Union.

"The generous support which the people of Europe are giving to the people of South Africa is making a meaningful contribution to the struggle against poverty," said a spokesman at the country's mission to the EU.

"South Africa hopes to rely on the people of Europe to continue this support after the first phase of transition ends in 1999. The EU could assist South Africa with the many challenges which could still lie ahead by building on what has been achieved so far."

EU assistance to South Africa began in 1986 under its "special programme for the victims of apartheid". While maintaining economic sanctions on the regime, the Union spent almost half a billion ecu on education, training, human rights, rural development and health projects. The money was disbursed entirely through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the South African Council of Churches (SACC), the Kasigo Trust and trade unions.

In 1994, when South Africa finally cast off the mantle of apartheid, the nature of the aid was substantially changed. Most symbolically, it was channelled for the first time through official routes, and was also given a substantial boost.

At the same time, however, NGOs continued to be involved, both in implementing the projects on the ground and also deciding where the money should be spent.

It has not, however, proved as easy as was initially hoped to spend the money. Although South Africa has managed to find an eventual use for virtually all (98%) of the funds on offer, differences in tendering procedures have made it difficult to actually spend.

"A low rate of disbursement of funds was experienced until recently, due to problems on both sides," said one South African official. "Some of these problems have now been solved, while others are being worked on. As a result, the rate of disbursement has increased dramatically over the last few months."

"In 1996, we only managed to disburse 30 out of 125 million ecu," agreed a Brussels official. "Although we hope to improve on that this year, it is clear that this aid will take a long time to get through."

Nevertheless, some of the programme's long-term benefits are beginning to show.

The Union decided that the fund's immediate focus should be to bring basic social services in deprived areas up to scratch, encourage previously excluded people to start up small businesses, and teach local politicians how to run an honest and efficient democracy.

European officials highlight important work by, for example, SACLA (a consortium of NGOs), which trains local people to become health professionals in the western Cape. With a budget of 9 million ecu, "the programme has managed to teach primary health-care skills to over 100 people", said a programme administrator.

South Africans point to AIDS-prevention projects worth more than 10 million ecu, district health programmes of more than 5 million and, for example, a 3-million-ecu scheme to raise awareness of health and education issues in Soul City.

Land reform programmes aim to re-integrate the rural poor into the economy, water programmes help provide basic sanitation to the vast areas of the country with inadequate water supply, and micro-enterprise development programmes offer small-scale lending facilities and support to local banks.

The Union has also spent almost 20 million ecu to encourage 'good governance' in national and regional parliaments, providing basic training for politicians previously unused to the day-to-day rigours of public life.

"This programme, which is run through local consultants, addresses the very basics of operating parliamentary machinery," explained an EPRD administrator.

"We teach officials how to transcribe parliamentary procedures, how to manage the flow of information and deal with the myriad of daily requirements. The programme also teaches local parliamentarians how to manage their constituencies and to run an efficient local government."