Madam, - Mary Fitzgerald's article "China's Africa" (August 23rd) quotes Zambia's trade minister, Mr Felex Mutati, as asking what benefits Africa got from colonisation by the West. A few items come to mind - the wheel and writing, for a start.
As for the question, "What, in a physical form, did they leave for us?", there spring to mind roads, railways, towns, schools, hospitals, government offices, electricity generators.
The statement that "they did not leave us with any infrastructure" is a patent untruth. At independence Zambia was left with functioning central and local government ministries and departments, hospitals, schools and a transport network, rich mines and,most importantly of all, a generation of educated local people to whom the country and its running were handed.
The subsequent failures in sub-Saharan Africa cannot be blamed on the West. - Yours, etc,
K.W. SUPPLE KANE,
Castlebellingham,
Co Louth.