Abstract:
There is a need for the countries of Southern Africa to invest in building
infrastructure, for which purpose they can be expected to utilise the services of
multilateral development banks (MDBs). MDB-funded infrastructure projects
often become arenas for debate over the roles and responsibilities of different
actors in the development process. This article discusses the fact that there is no
longer a clear consensus on the relative responsibilities of governments, MDBs
and non-state actors in regard to infrastructure projects, and analyses how these
new tensions in the relations between these three actors could complicate efforts
to develop the infrastructure so urgently needed in Southern Africa.
