Hilary Joffe
2 June 2008
Johannesburg — RISING tension between foreign migrants and locals, and the social violence this could spark, were not a uniquely South African issue, and the challenge of integrating foreigners was one countries faced facing all over the world, World Economic Forum (WEF) officials said on Friday.
They were speaking ahead of the WEF on Africa, which opens in Cape Town on Wednesday and will be attended by about 800 business and political leaders from more than 50 African countries, including at least six heads of state. President Thabo Mbeki will be there, as will African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, who is scheduled to speak in sessions on food security and on the cost of crime.
This will be the sixth time Zuma has attended the forum, and the organisers said he had had an influence on the agenda. Mbeki has attended 17 of the WEF's 18 Africa summits, as has Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, who will be there again this year.
A special session on migration and social violence, titled From Melting Pot to Meltdown, has been added into the forum's three-day programme, with speakers who include film producer Anant Singh.
About half of the participants in this year's Africa forum are from SA and they include many of the CEs of SA's largest companies. Among the European, US and Asian leaders due in Cape Town are Coca-Cola chairman and CE Neville Isdell, Dubai World chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, and Aliko Dangote, the president of Nigeria's Dangote group. The heads of government of Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Malawi, Burundi and Sierra Leone have also confirmed their participation.
The theme for this year's forum is Capitalising on Opportunity.
The WEF has for the first time compiled an Africa version of its annual global risk report, Africa@Risk, which was released on Friday. It identifies four core risks that are expected to affect the region over the next decade. Food and water security is one. Of the 86 countries defined as low-income and food-deficient, 43 are in Africa, and it is estimated that by 2025, 25 African countries will be subject to water stress.
Economic shocks are another risk. WEF head of economic and financial risks Irene Casanova said although Africa had recorded average growth of about 5% in recent years, this was often linked to natural resources and the question was whether it was sustainable. Reforms and better institutions were needed to enhance economic resilience.
A third risk is political instability -- even if conflicts are decreasing, social unrest is a risk, Casanova said. The fourth is climate change. Africa contributes least to climate change, with only 5% of greenhouse gas emissions, but is most vulnerable to the consequence s, the report says .
Casanova said the four risks were interconnected, in that stronger institutions were needed to manage all of them.
This year's forum includes a range of topics, from reconstructing Zimbabwe to malaria to corporate behaviour and financial markets.
The WEF sees itself providing a platform for dialogue. "We don't meddle in politics," said Stephane Oertel, the WEF's community manager for Africa.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Business Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
