AU Leaders Big Challenge for Africa
by Zimpapers News Wire
Sunday, Jun 14, 2015
Photo: African Union chairman President Mugabe converses with Sierra Leone President Enerst Bai Korama (extreme left), Senegalese President Macky Sally and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during the ongoing AU Summit in Sandton, South Africa, yesterday – Picture: Presidential Photographer Joseph Nyadzayo
Takunda Maodza in Sandton, South Africa
PRESIDENT Mugabe has challenged Africa to expedite industrialisation and stop exportation of raw materials as this does not benefit the continent.
Addressing the 33rd New Partnership for Africa’s Development Committee here yesterday, the African Union Chair said it was time Africa’s resources started benefitting Africans.
“As an agency instituted to fast-track the implementation of African economic development I would like to call upon Nepad, the regional economic communities and other African institutions to come up with viable strategies and expedite the industrialisation of the continent to curtail the export of unprocessed resources.
“Let us work on an integrated basis on the industrialisation of our economic entities,” he said.
President Mugabe, who is also the Sadc Chairperson, said industrialisation must be Africa’s top priority.
“I urge Nepad and other similar African institutions to include industrialisation among our priority of priorities. With regards to our high impact programmes and projects, surely the African people cannot continue to be hewers of wood and drawers of water while others delight in our resources,” he said.
“With unwavering courage and collective determination Africa can also industrialise in the same manner other regions have achieved industrialisation in the shortest period possible.”
President Mugabe, who is attending the 25th AU Summit, urged African leaders to ensure major projects take off the ground.
“It is against this background that I implore the entire African leadership to ensure the implementation of the mega programmes and projects under the first ten year plan of Agenda 2063 are expedited, like the great Inga Dam project.
“We have set for ourselves targets in the form of agenda 2063 and the implementation of our impact and cross cutting projects under the first 10-year plan. I count on our collective leadership and those that shall come after us that together we will attain the ideals of the Africa we want.”
The AU chair acknowledged the work Nepad had done thus far under the Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki’s leadership.
“We request for more exertion of your faculties Dr Mayaki as they task before us is huge, although by no means insurmountable. As the economic development agency of the AU, Nepad has made breakthroughs in various spheres of its mandate and objectives in recent years.
“Since its inception, breakthroughs have been registered in project conceptualisation, formulation and implementation as exemplified by the programme for infrastructure development in Africa (PIDA), and science technology and innovation strategy for Africa capacity building at the level of the regional economic communities, and women and youth empowerment programmes are some of the noteworthy achievements.”
President Mugabe also noted efforts made by Nepad in resource mobilisation, food security and nutrition.
“With the advent of climate change, Nepad has provided a critical synergy, the synergy between and among the African institutions thereby enhancing the much needed continental integration as envisaged in the Lagos Plan of Action of 1980 and the Abuja Treaty of 1991,” he said.
“Challenges continue to dog the African continent in spite of the cited strides achieved in the area of sustainable and inclusive economic development poverty. Hunger and diseases continue to wreak havoc on the African continent whilst its vast natural resources are being exploited and exported in their raw or semi processed form.”
Still on the need for Africa to industrialise, the AU Chair added: “African natural resources and commodities are beneficiated and value added elsewhere outside the continent immensely benefiting those countries while African people continue to be impoverished.”
Sunday, Jun 14, 2015
Photo: African Union chairman President Mugabe converses with Sierra Leone President Enerst Bai Korama (extreme left), Senegalese President Macky Sally and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during the ongoing AU Summit in Sandton, South Africa, yesterday – Picture: Presidential Photographer Joseph Nyadzayo
Takunda Maodza in Sandton, South Africa
PRESIDENT Mugabe has challenged Africa to expedite industrialisation and stop exportation of raw materials as this does not benefit the continent.
Addressing the 33rd New Partnership for Africa’s Development Committee here yesterday, the African Union Chair said it was time Africa’s resources started benefitting Africans.
“As an agency instituted to fast-track the implementation of African economic development I would like to call upon Nepad, the regional economic communities and other African institutions to come up with viable strategies and expedite the industrialisation of the continent to curtail the export of unprocessed resources.
“Let us work on an integrated basis on the industrialisation of our economic entities,” he said.
President Mugabe, who is also the Sadc Chairperson, said industrialisation must be Africa’s top priority.
“I urge Nepad and other similar African institutions to include industrialisation among our priority of priorities. With regards to our high impact programmes and projects, surely the African people cannot continue to be hewers of wood and drawers of water while others delight in our resources,” he said.
“With unwavering courage and collective determination Africa can also industrialise in the same manner other regions have achieved industrialisation in the shortest period possible.”
President Mugabe, who is attending the 25th AU Summit, urged African leaders to ensure major projects take off the ground.
“It is against this background that I implore the entire African leadership to ensure the implementation of the mega programmes and projects under the first ten year plan of Agenda 2063 are expedited, like the great Inga Dam project.
“We have set for ourselves targets in the form of agenda 2063 and the implementation of our impact and cross cutting projects under the first 10-year plan. I count on our collective leadership and those that shall come after us that together we will attain the ideals of the Africa we want.”
The AU chair acknowledged the work Nepad had done thus far under the Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki’s leadership.
“We request for more exertion of your faculties Dr Mayaki as they task before us is huge, although by no means insurmountable. As the economic development agency of the AU, Nepad has made breakthroughs in various spheres of its mandate and objectives in recent years.
“Since its inception, breakthroughs have been registered in project conceptualisation, formulation and implementation as exemplified by the programme for infrastructure development in Africa (PIDA), and science technology and innovation strategy for Africa capacity building at the level of the regional economic communities, and women and youth empowerment programmes are some of the noteworthy achievements.”
President Mugabe also noted efforts made by Nepad in resource mobilisation, food security and nutrition.
“With the advent of climate change, Nepad has provided a critical synergy, the synergy between and among the African institutions thereby enhancing the much needed continental integration as envisaged in the Lagos Plan of Action of 1980 and the Abuja Treaty of 1991,” he said.
“Challenges continue to dog the African continent in spite of the cited strides achieved in the area of sustainable and inclusive economic development poverty. Hunger and diseases continue to wreak havoc on the African continent whilst its vast natural resources are being exploited and exported in their raw or semi processed form.”
Still on the need for Africa to industrialise, the AU Chair added: “African natural resources and commodities are beneficiated and value added elsewhere outside the continent immensely benefiting those countries while African people continue to be impoverished.”
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