WI Mobutu wasn't a corrupt kleptocrat

WI Mobutu wasn't a corrupt kleptocrat who used Congo as his personal piggy bank, but instead a competent, benign and only mildly corrupt despot with a genuine concern for the welfare of his people? To what levels could a competent Mobutu develop Congo (or Zaire, if it still winds up being called that) between his assumption of the presidency in 1965 and his death in 1997? How should he go about it?

Assuming a stable, Democratic Republic of Congo (or Zaire) results with levels of development similar to those of other more stable, relatively successful African countries like South Africa, Botswana, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, what are the effects on sub-Saharan Africa? Finally, will Congo remain a one-party state under the sole legal political party, the MPR after Mobutu dies or transition to democracy, however flawed, either peacefully or violently?
 

kernals12

Banned
WI Mobutu wasn't a corrupt kleptocrat who used Congo as his personal piggy bank, but instead a competent, benign and only mildly corrupt despot with a genuine concern for the welfare of his people? To what levels could a competent Mobutu develop Congo (or Zaire, if it still winds up being called that) between his assumption of the presidency in 1965 and his death in 1997? How should he go about it?

Assuming a stable, Democratic Republic of Congo (or Zaire) results with levels of development similar to those of other more stable, relatively successful African countries like South Africa, Botswana, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, what are the effects on sub-Saharan Africa? Finally, will Congo remain a one-party state under the sole legal political party, the MPR after Mobutu dies or transition to democracy, however flawed, either peacefully or violently?
The thing about changing personalities of historical figures is that you can write whatever you want in them. As for Zaire, or any country, there's no reason they can't pull a South Korea, especially with all that copper and uranium money.
 
stable, relatively successful African countries like South Africa, Botswana, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea

Gotta say, "stable" and "successful" aren't normally words I hear applied to Equatorial Guinea.

Though I might substitute Nguema's paradise with Tanzania, as an example of a relatively flourishing African country, if we overlook Nyerere's harebrained collectivization policies and the fact that a disturbingly high level of their population still subscribe to things like albino-body-parts as medicine.
 
A Mobutu who isn't a corrupt kleptocrat isn't Mobutu. You'd be better off finding a different leader.

What are the good alternatives to Mobutu besides Lumumba?

Gotta say, "stable" and "successful" aren't normally words I hear applied to Equatorial Guinea.

Though I might substitute Nguema's paradise with Tanzania, as an example of a relatively flourishing African country, if we overlook Nyerere's harebrained collectivization policies and the fact that a disturbingly high level of their population still subscribe to things like albino-body-parts as medicine.

Stable is a very relative term. I chose Equatorial Guinea because of its high GDP per capita compared to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.
 
The majority of population is very poor and all the money goes into the leaders bank accounts

Correct, GDP per capita isn't always an indicator of wealth. That said Equatorial Guinea is less bad off than the Democratic Republic of Congo IMHO. They bounced back better from the mess Nguema left behind than Congo did from the consequences of Mobutu's kleptocratic incompetence.
 
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kernals12

Banned
Correct, GDP per capita isn't always an indicator of wealth. That said Equatorial Guinea is less bad off than the Democratic Republic of Congo IMHO. They bounced back better from the mess Nguema left behind than Congo did from the consequences of Mobutu's kleptocratic incompetence.
For Equatorial Guinea, GDP per capita was accurate until oil was discovered in 1996 and threw everything off. But as production falls and population grows, GDP per capita is falling quickly and will soon be back at the correct level.
 
For Equatorial Guinea, GDP per capita was accurate until oil was discovered in 1996 and threw everything off. But as production falls and population grows, GDP per capita is falling quickly and will soon be back at the correct level.

I see. To get back on topic again, how would a Congo with a halfway competent and only mildly corrupt Mobutu evolve between 1965 and 1997?
 

kernals12

Banned
Let's assume he's willing to prosecute the worst offenders in the upper and upper middle cadres of the bureaucracy while leaving the small fries alone, or recruiting said small fries as informants.
In that case, there's no reason Zaire can't be an African South Korea.
 
wouldn't he share Lumumba fate ? Overthrown by coup from more corrupt leader who willing to share the wealth to military ?

and even competent leader had difficulty successful in nation-building. The regional, tribal, corporate interest could very well be overwhelming without massive bribe to local politician and military leaders (to prevent secession and to crush it if needed).
 
Correct, GDP per capita isn't always an indicator of wealth. That said Equatorial Guinea is less bad off than the Democratic Republic of Congo IMHO. They bounced back better from the mess Nguema left behind than Congo did from the consequences of Mobutu's kleptocratic incompetence.

What?

Equatorial Guinea is one of the worst places on the continent?

It might have a high GDP, but does pretty badly on Human Development Indicators, which shows that very little of the oil wealth is benefitting ordinary people.
 
What?

Equatorial Guinea is one of the worst places on the continent?

It might have a high GDP, but does pretty badly on Human Development Indicators, which shows that very little of the oil wealth is benefitting ordinary people.

I'm aware of that by now, thank you. And the post you quoted never said Equatorial Guinea was a good place to live, just that it was less bad than Congo: Equatorial Guinea had an HDI of 0.592 in 2015 and Congo-Kinshasa 0.435. That's not really the topic of the thread anyway. The topic is how Mobutu can do better in Congo and what results that would have, not only for Congo but also sub-Saharan Africa.
 
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