Janet MacGaffey examines the case of Zaire where, according to the published statistics, wages are at starvation level, production is declining and the infrastructure is falling apart. The center is increasingly held by "system D," the second economy, whose activities, often illegal, take place outside the official economy.

Contributions by: Vwakyanakazi Mukohya, Makwala Ma Mavambu Ye Beda, Brooke Gundfest Schoepf, Rukarangira Wa Nkera, Walu Engundu