Page 56 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 23
P. 56
Economy
connectivity with major will be a catalyst towards realize their full abilities.”
seaports as well as contribute the pursuit of beneficial
to maximizing the operational economic integration within His Excellency Wamkele
efficiency of the corridor and the continent.” She defined her Keabetswe Mene, Secretary
enhance regional economic statement by insisting that : General of the AfCFTA at
integration. the opening ceremony of the
Africa must manufacture African Continental Free Trade
Bye Bye Colonialism within Africa and sell within Area, 1 January 2021 said the
Africa. following:
Beneficiation of mineral
resources is being mandated “Everybody is running after the ” We have to take active steps to
by increasing numbers of rare mineral resources of the dismantle the colonial economic
governments across Africa DRC but they ( foreign mining model that we inherited and
which will no longer serve as companies) are not establishing that we sustained over the last
the raw materials market for the factories in the DRC. Don`t sign 50 years . We have to stop being
global North. The trend is the any agreement if production is exporters of primary products to
same for agriculture. Ghana and not to happen here. We must countries of the North. We have
Cote D`Ivoire are looking to refuse! We must ensure value got to make sure we establish
export chocolate confectionary addition, mineral benificiation industrial development capacity
products as oppose to cocoa happens within Africa!” on the African continent so
beans. Nigeria is expanding on Minister Pandor highlighted that we create jobs on the
its value chain of the tomato the importance of State owned African continent and so that
industry to produce processed, entities being represented at we completely rely on Africa,
storable goods. such events “because these self sufficiency in Africa and
are important vehicles for the if anything Covid-19 has
Namibia recently banned development of our countries” demonstrated is that Africa is
export of unprocessed critical over reliant on the export of
minerals. ...DRC must become a trusted primary commodities, overly
partner of South Africa and reliant on global supply chains.
The Minister of International South Africa must become a And we know when the global
Relations and Cooperation, trusted partner of the DRC”… supply chains are disrupted,
Dr Naledi Pandor, recently …….”We spend too much we know that Africa suffers.
visited Kinshasa, capital of the time trusing others outside the We know that when the global
DRC where she participated continent and not enough time commodities markets are
in the meeting of the South trusting ourselves” subdued we know that Africa
African and DRC Bi-National suffers. So we have got to take
Commission and held talks “Our main vision is to see active steps to make sure that
with her DRC counterpart and real changes in our peoples Africa`s industrial development
met representatives of South livelihoods...allowing our is accelerated and this African
African businesses operating people to remain poor is to continental free trade area and
in the DRC. She gave a talk in keep them in a prison of a lack the trading that starts today ,are
which she said : ” I believe the of advancement. So we must the first steps that we have to
AfCFTA ( African Continental change the condition of our take in that direction.”
Free Trade Area/Agreement) people so that they are free to
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