In many ways, Rwanda is healing much better than SA

Arriving back in Johannesburg after a trip to Rwanda brings you crashing back to earth – to the violence, despair, inefficiency and grime of South Africa.

A prominent billboard in the airport building in the capital, Kigali, welcoming visitors to the country, proclaims: “Welcome to the Land of the Doers.”

My friend and I wondered – after a magical few days in Rwanda – whether perhaps we should not put up a similar one at OR Tambo International Airport: “Welcome to the Land of the Moaners.”

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Both countries have societies torn apart on ethnic lines: Rwanda by the genocide in 1994 and SA by the many years of apartheid. Many more people died in the genocide in Rwanda in the bitter strife between the Hutus and the Tutsis… But in many ways the country is healing much better than we are.

When we headed to Kigali, our main aim was to realise a life-long dream: to encounter and observe some of the country’s endangered mountain gorillas. Little did we know that I would not only be able to tick off the top item on our respective bucket lists, but that our personal experience of Rwanda and its people would completely bowl us over.

The achievements and ongoing social and economic progress of Rwanda since the 1994 genocidal tragedy are nothing short of miraculous. Rwanda is on the high road to growth and prosperity, setting an example for African counterparts.

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The “Land of the Doers” slogan, we soon discovered, is an understatement. This was evident at the outset from the frenetic pace set by maintenance workers at the airport’s departure gate.

Weary from the scourge of erratic load shedding, bribery, crime and corruption, we learned – to our delight – that Rwanda is endowed with natural energy resources, including hydro, solar and methane gas in Lake Kivu in the west, and that crime and corruption levels remain relatively low.

During our drive from the airport to our hotel, it was evident the Rwandan capital is flourishing. The array of impressive corporate structures – from hotels to banks and international brands, to schools, shopping centres, hotels, clinics and the like – that are under construction, bears testimony to this.

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Kigali has seen rapid growth for the past two and half decades, and it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa, with an annual urbanisation growth rate of 4%. The capital contributes over 41% of the national GDP, which indicates Kigali’s primacy to the Rwandan economy, our seasoned guide, Sam Gasana, confirmed.

The city’s impressive conference centre has established itself as a hub for important regional events. What impressed us even more is the city’s cleanliness and orderliness.

Set amid rolling hills as far as the eye can see – Rwanda is also known as the country of a thousand hills – the well-kept medians and pavements brimming with flowers and shrubs (women with brooms, gardening implements and garbage bags constantly tidy up the city’s streets and public places), and the smooth traffic flow – despite the myriad motorcycles that serve as the city’s main taxi operators – had us in awe.

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Rwanda has instituted a ban on plastic bags and packaging material. Before we were allowed to leave the airport building, we were kindly requested to remove the plastic wrapping from our baggage in the presence of an official.

In addition, all Rwandans aged 18 to 65 – except those unfit to participate – are legally required to take part in a monthly civil conscription scheme called Umuganda. So, on the last Saturday of every month, Rwandans take to the streets and work shoulder to shoulder to clean up the streets and communities. Noncompliance may result in a fine of 5 000 francs (about R110).

“Despite the scope of the 1994 genocide in which nearly one million people were massacred, this did not demoralise our nation.

“To the contrary, it has inspired the people to unite and to work towards the common goal of developing the country to the benefit of all. Today, there are no more Hutus or Tutsis – we are all Rwandans,” Gasana stressed.

The “can-do” inclination and admirable work ethic of Rwandans not only manifests itself in the capital, but also in rural areas, where every able citizen contributes to the collective well-being of the community. Stately, colourfully dressed women work diligently in the fields tending crops or tidying up and beautifying the highways and byways with plants.

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Around every corner, you come across men, young and old, feverishly pedalling or pushing their bicycles, heavily laden with all kinds of crops, to and from the markets.

Even youngsters, with their green or yellow Crocs, participate in watering the fields and crops from adjacent irrigation furrows. In addition, Rwanda’s tourism industry offers many opportunities to invest in local communities, generate economic activity and create employment opportunities for women and young people.

Our experience of Rwanda has not only left us with a bag full of beautiful memories; it has inculcated the validity of the well-known adage: where there is a will, there is a way…