Thank you for the excellent article Pitfalls of export processing zones by Herbert Jauch [http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/46932].

A copy of this article should be sent to every minister of finance and minister of trade in every African country. It should be printed and hung on the wall of every parliament building and every 'investment centre' and every university economics department in Africa. It relates to all the issues raised in Pambazuka: China/Africa, agrofuels, Chad/France, the future of Zimbabwe. This is the fundamental issue for developing Africa.

Instead of adopting an open-door policy towards foreign investment, Namibia (and Africa in general) need to adopt selective policies that channel investments into certain strategic sectors that will have a lasting developmental impact.

They require a very clear and strategic development agenda that is not based on blind faith in foreign investment as the panacea to our development problems.

The lack of alternative programmes for effective economic development and job creation places government in a weak position to negotiate adherence to labour, social and environmental standards with foreign investors."

How can this be distributed more widely? Can the AU hold a conference on this?