Eat the Rich

Then you take a swig of the locally produced purified water and notice brown, gelatinous things floating in your own bottle (modern). John and I visited a high functionary of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Arusha branch. “What does the chamber of commerce do?” I asked. “Our main activity is getting new members,” said the functionary. “Is the chamber doing anything to attract business to Arusha?” I asked. “We haven’t reached that level yet,” said the functionary. “I think Arusha has everything to attract business.” “Except telephones,” I mentioned. “Telephones will be privatized next year,” he said. “Arusha has two million people in the whole town.” He thought about that. “Arusha has 300,000 people. It is second to Dar es Salaam in importance. If all goes well, it might become first important.” “Do you have any brochures?” “We used to have the newsletter, but of recently, we have not done any printing.” “But what does the chamber of commerce actually do ?” “We are a pressure group,” said the functionary with emphasis. “Have you been a successful one?” “We have! To some good extent. The chamber of commerce played a big role in formulating the budget. We were invited to Dar es Salaam to give our opinion. We complained about the postal-service box rent going from 3,000 shillings to 50,000 shillings.” “Did they change the rate back?” “No.” The chamber of commerce office was located in a long, tin-roofed shed adjacent to the former headquarters of the East African Community or EAC. The latter building is of a truly stupendous international-donor type, featuring not only discolored concrete but also oxidized aluminum, rust-stained stainless steel, and a row of empty flagpoles all bent at different angles. The EAC was an attempt by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda to form a common market, and it fell apart when Kenya’s president, Daniel arap Moi, started getting huffy and Uganda’s dictator, Idi Amin, started eating people. But nothing in Africa that receives foreign assistance ever really goes away, and the EAC continues to exist in the guise of East African Cooperation. In the parking space reserved for

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