Helping The Poor

I am always curious as to how governments and others choose the recipients of their aid. Take this example of EU aid.

The European Union (EU) council of ministers has approved a €980m funding programme to help SA achieve higher economic growth and address its skills shortage.

First of all why South Africa? After all it is rich compared to the standards of the continent in which it resides. Why did they decide that what they needed was money for training? Finally the amount, how was that calculated? After all they failed to spend it all last time:

The indicative amount was approved despite government’s inability to spend all of the funds assigned under the previous package. The total decommitted funds from the previous funding package amounted to about €70m.

We are to pay them more money than they were pledged last time, despite them being unable to spend the last lot.

The reality is that South Africa is a place of massive potential, held back by a socialist government. It needs a capitalist revolution. So the EU, is simply doing abroad what it does at home. Ignoring the real problems and pretending that throwing money at "Skills" is what is needed.