The American media does not cover African news properly. This is a fact to which I have ample proof. The news is frequently printed late, prejudiced, and incomplete. There has been major flooding in Burkina Faso and the New York Times has yet to issue their own article detailing the floods. However, they have relied on the Associated Press and Reuters for two articles and there has not been any follow-up.
The point of that rant is to highlight recent current events in Senegal, the type of news that is rarely printed in the US and is occasionally discussed in the French media.
There have been massive power cuts in Dakar leaving neighborhoods without reprieve from the heat. The cuts happen suddenly without warning and can last several hours.Out of utter frustration, I began to record when there were power outages. During one week the cuts in my neighborhood averaged nine hours per day. During one day there were three power cuts totaling thirteen and a half hours. This is nothing compared to what people in the lower-income housing areas face. They can have power cuts for days. It goes without saying that power cuts render the country incapacitated. People cannot work unless they have a generator. Generators run on fuel, which is expensive. The power cuts bleed people of energy, time, and patience. Riots in many neighborhoods against the electric company have cropped up. They will rage on until the power outages cease.
Why are there power outages? It is a multi-pronged problem. One aspect is the Minister of Energy who mismanages money and energy and is not qualified to do his job. He has been widely criticized for ignoring alternative energy as a method of producing energy instead of relying on combustibles. Solar energy, in my opinion, makes sense for Senegal, a country with approximately 355 days of sunshine per year (my estimate). The second reason why there are many power outages is combustibles that are purchased from aboard. The Senegalese government does not have enough money to buy combustibles in bulk and can only afford a fifteen-day supply. In the long run the fifteen-day supply is more expensive and not as prudent. I just read an article in a Senegalese paper that stated that Senegal needs 18 billion CFA (3.6 million dollars) per month to supply power to the country and since the government has a limited budget, that is impossible. I would argue that the limited budget stems from mismanagement and poor prioritizing, but that is also my humble opinion. A third prong is that the machines that transform combustibles into energy are ancient (not my words) and thus malfunction all of the time. This electricity crisis is not new. It has been getting worse in recent years, especially with the increase use of air conditioners, computers, hot water heaters, and other electrical goods that consume a lot of electricity. Although, none of this should be a surprise if proper research and projections had been done.
Another huge issue is that much of the “banlieue” outside of Dakar is underwater. The urban planning behind these sprawling communities was none existent when these lower income areas were forming. One major problem apart in the banlieue is the lack of a proper irrigation system. It rains and the water remains in large muddy puddles and becomes stagnant. Stagnant water, the breeder of disease and mosquitoes makes life even harder for people living in the banlieue. After it rains, water, in some places, is as high as my knees. People are forced to either leave their homes or make due by putting their beds on palettes and sleeping above the water. For the past several years during the rainy season this same problem has occurred. It is nothing new. Water from last year is still stagnating in several areas. The President has made promise upon promise but the fact that people are living under water has not been dealt with properly. It is unacceptable.
The final current event sums everything up and demonstrates the power of immigrants living abroad. President Wade decided to go to France for vacation. Upon his arrival he found many Senegalese living in France protesting his presence. They stated in interviews that they felt that Senegal’s electricity and water problems were outrageously out of control and that instead of vacationing Wade should be handing these grave issues.
According to my records, it has worked because there has been an overall decrease in power outages to as little as 3 hours a day at least in my neighborhood. Additionally, there was a recent purchase of combustibles and rumors of the Minster of Energy stepping down. Will this last? I am skeptical but hopeful, because one must have hope when living in Dakar.
