There seems to be two national anthems. The first, ‘Rwanda Nziza’ (Beautiful Rwanda), has been the one sung at all official functions since it replaced the controversial post-independence national anthem ‘Rwanda Rwacu’ (Our Rwanda) on January 1, 2002. The second one, which I believe has had an uninterrupted run since 1962, is called ‘Amafaranga yarabuze’ (There is no money to be found). This weekend, I had a conversation with a neighbour of mine about the speed of Rwanda’s growth. This neighbour, a citizen of one of the countries in our region, was trying to make sense of the country he now called home. Over a few coffees, and using my own lived experience, I tried to provide as much insight as I could. I began with the refugee experience (and how it affected the generation that founded the RPF) and then moved on to how that generation, following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, decided on a governance model predicated on a shared national identity. We then discussed the ambitious Vision 2020 and how it helped Rwandans imagine what ‘could be’ rather than ‘what was,’ as well as how RDB’s ‘Visit Rwanda’ marketing coup turbocharged sports, tourism, and infrastructure development. As we conversed, the gentleman made a remark that took me slightly aback. While negatively comparing his country of birth to Rwanda in terms of human and infrastructural development, he noted that there seemed to be more money changing hands back home. That remark got me thinking. How was it possible that, despite all the investments that Rwandans and their government have made, there was a situation of ‘amafaranga yarabuze’? As there are two types of farmers, there are two types of nations. Certain farmers prefer to plant perennial crops (like fruit trees, coffee, and tea), while others prefer annual crops (like maize, beans, soya, and watermelons). Those who plant annual crops often have more money (at first) because not only do they harvest the crop in only a few months (therefore getting quick money), but they also use less money to manage the crop between the day it is first planted and the day it is taken to market. Farmers who plant perennial crops have to wait years before they start to enjoy the fruits of their labour. For not less than two years, they have to constantly spend money on fertilizers, mulch, labour, irrigation, farm chemicals, and other expenses. However, if they make it to the other side, then they have decades of harvests (and good income) to look forward to. I feel like countries, and the governments that run them, are not dissimilar to the farmers I just mentioned. Some countries seem to be constantly looking and building for the future, while others seem to be happy to do the bare minimum. Rwandans (and their leadership) are fortunately not in the business of doing the latter. The proof is that while our government is investing in national projects, the people are investing in themselves and their families. There is a cost to all these investments, both private and public. When the vast majority of resources are spent on initial investments, there is simply less money to spend on other things. I believe that the ‘lack of money’ is primarily driven by the fact that everyone’s money is tied to their own ‘Kigali Convention Center’. It might be a mortgage that weighs them down or it might be an investment they have made in themselves. Either way, until they pay it off, there will be little money to spend on things non-essentials like nice clothes and other retail consumption. The good news is, there are only so many mortgages (and national power plants) that we need. I am confident that, in a few years, as more and more people pay off their debt (or complete their projects), they will start spending more and more on consumption. The trick is to remain a stable country until that future moment. The main challenge that many African countries (including ours) have faced over the years is the constant cycle of ‘build-destroy-build-destroy’. Look at it this way, it doesn’t matter how many macadamia trees you plant if you keep razing them to the ground. You will remain poor. However, I feel confident that, bearing in mind the lessons of our past, we shall not fall into another build-destroy-build-destroy cycle. We have made (or are making) the kinds of long-term investments that will come good in the next few years. Now all we need to do is keep our eyes on the prize and be patient because if we do so, no longer shall we have two anthems; we shall all sing one song, ‘Rwanda Nziza’. The writer is a socio-political commentator
