Aid Conditionality, as an instrument inducing policy change, seems to be something of the past. However, questions on what alternatives in a polity where checks and balances do not function, democratic accountability has not taken root and the voice of citizens does not count to the conduct of public affairs, remain to be answered. Traditional donor communities now competing with the Chinese miracle seem less interested in maintaining the conditionality. But does this means that through the current budget support system they are prepared to give their money no matter how it is spent?
The contemporary landscape resembles that of Africa’s post independence up to late of the1980s, where western powers continued to give aid money corrupt and dictatorial regimes of Mobutu, Banda, Arap Moi, etc; just to avoid them slipping into the hands of communist empire.
Clearly, the “one size fits all” approach needs not to be revalidated, whether the mechanism is conditionality or budget support. Our own view is that there will need to be a continuous careful monitoring of progress and in the face of the results of the assessment of specific circumstances, specific “ remedies” shall be encountered through a sincere and inclusive dialogue involving all stakeholders of the country.

However, a research work conducted by Benjamin Pequenino, in 2002, found and inform that Aid Conditionality played a positive role in president Machel’s drop of socialist development model. To access such work, please go to: www.idd.bham.ac.uk/research/dissertations/dissertations.htm

Benjamin Pequenino
Chief Executive.