OBLIQUE ANGLE : Talking of democracy, development in relation to Africa

What you need to know:

So, I ask around and get directions that enable me to through the clearance procedure. I get to the point where buses take visitors on transit to their respective hotels around Addis Ababa. Just one request and I manage to locate my bus.

       It’s around 7am. I’ve just landed at Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. I’m on transit to Tel Aviv, Israel. My next flight is slightly past 4pm. Fortunately, the airline I flew on had arranged some accomodation for me in between the two flights.

So, I ask around and get directions that enable me to through the clearance procedure. I get to the point where buses take visitors on transit to their respective hotels around Addis Ababa. Just one request and I manage to locate my bus.

“Hello,” I greet the driver.

“Hello, welcome, are you Mr Simba?”

“Yes.”

“Good. We’re waiting for one more person and then we’ll go. So, make yourself comfortable in the car,” he says as he opens the door.

I’m tired. I jump in and select a seat. It’s a mini-bus, sort of which can take 13 passengers. I then train my eyes on a group of drivers standing outside the mini-buses. I presume that they are waiting for other passengers on transit as well. Chatting. Smoking. Some occasionally texting on their smartphones.

Construction. That’s something else you cannot miss in Addis Ababa. Bole International Airport, Terminal 2 is also undergoing massive expansion. This is a clear sign that something positive is happening in Africa.

Twenty minutes pass by. I’m tired and sleepy. I drift into the state of being half awake, half asleep. Drowsiness. On the previous night, I got back home from the newsroom at past 10pm. I had not prepared anything for the journey. Hence, planning what to pack, what to leave. Plus ensuring that I carry the right documents.

I go to take shower around 1.40am. The taxi driver arrived at 1.50am. Reporting time is around the corner. By 2am, I get into the car. There is no traffic jam. By 2.15am, I’m at the airport. I meet my cousin who works there. Exchange a few greetings. And, he urges me to go and start the process of checking in--another tedious ordeal.

All goes well. I travel light, so had no worry over being charged for the extra weight. The flight is 4.25am. It happens on the dot.

As we go up, Dar es Salaam is below, shining brightly. It’s a view to watch. But, something else attracts your attention. There are no streets except for the main roads pointing to the city centre. Town planning remains a serious issue in our commercial capital city.

You think of the importance of town planning and come up with a long list. Making cities sustainable, providing efficient security, offering quality social services in areas of health, education, disaster mitigation and proper addresses.