The Ghost of Christmas past...
It does mean that ignoring the situation does not make it go away, neither does criticizing the lack of accountability and poor performance of those responsible for delivering safe, regular and efficient operations in the region dissolve the threats that exist in the system.
No funding directed to upgrade infrastructure, training institutions and maintenance facilities? Sounds like even the current poor safety record is heading further south!
Something that's striking around here is professionals in this region (Pilot, engineers, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, cabin crew) at best just hang around blowing hot air, and watch the accident statistics go through the roof. The politicians are just interested in the next election, the technocrats are planning for a cozy retirement. These two groups are quite happy as long as airplanes fly around, even if they are ALL foreign airlines based outside the continent.
The professionals in this region should bear in mind that at this rate, they'll become extinct either from the accidents, retirements, attrition, obsolete due to outdated training, lack of replacement personnel, poaching of man-power, immigration, and a plethora of other factors.
Growing aviation activity on the continent is external driven leading to further capital flight for the regions' governments and airlines.
At the moment, established foreign carriers are opening more new routes on the continent than African airlines themselves. At the same time African airlines are getting blacklisted from flying out of the continent due to " safety concerns". It is people that create safety through practice ( Syd Dekker).
The myopic passivity and complacency of the professional organisations on the continent is costing the industry valuable time that may make any resuscitation of the comatose systems past praying for.
All that's needed for evil to thrive is when good people do nothing; ( thinking it's someone else's job!) Any takers?