Why Museveni and Kagame Didn't Impress Me in South Africa.

(From The Monitor (Uganda) - AAGM)

Byline: Allen Mutono

Sandton is the money city of South Africa. Here, amidst high-rise skyscrapers, corporate high-fliers meet to close deals. It is the premier business address where hotels, conference centres and restaurants cost higher than anywhere else on the continent. Locals describe it as Africa's richest square mile.

Recently, at the famed Sandton Convention Centre, a gathering of select business leaders heard presentations from a rare quarter: two of Africa's famous strong men. Both men who are Presidents and former army generals were here to speak about business opportunities in their countries.

It was a low-key event. President Thabo Mbeki, the conference's draw card, had turned down the invitation months before the event. Mainstream South African media largely ignored the event. Apart from a broadcast on the little-watched SABC Africa channel, the 45 million odd people living in this country didn't know that Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda had flown in for a sideshow.

What an injustice! How could the South African media deny the locals an opportunity to hear the wise words of these "freedom" …