Cape Town — At the opening plenary session of the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa, five African government leaders welcomed the progress that their countries have made in recent years but also highlighted the challenges faced by the continent, notably food security, the management of resources, political development and sustainable growth.
"Africa is evolving very well in the correct direction," said Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa. "There really has been progress in addressing the issue of peace and stability and democratization. This process is irreversible." Declared John Agyekum Kufuor, the President of Ghana: "The opportunities for Africa are immense."
The continent will continue to experience high economic growth, Mbeki predicted, adding that regional integration will deepen. "It would be very important if we manage our resources and the wealth they generate so they produce the advances we need," he said. Political stability is critical, Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of Burundi, cautioned. "You can have many mineral resources, but if you have no peace, there is no way to develop your country."
"The opportunities, threats and challenges [Africans] face require strong partnerships among government, business and civil society," Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, told participants. "They also require strong African cooperation and engagement with the world."
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Said Kufuor: "Africa needs more cooperation through the African Union to organize and coordinate how Africa relates with the rest of the world." Kufuor warned that "unless we get leaders that see beyond the divides that the [colonial] system left us, very likely we will move one step forward and two steps backwards." Raila Amolo Odinga, the new Prime Minister of Kenya, agreed. The post-election communal strife in his country that led to the creation of a coalition government underscores how tribalism remains a problem. "For over 40 years of Independence, we lived a lie that we were a united country, but deep down society was fragmented," Odinga remarked. "What we see is a continental problem – the problem of bad governance. We always blame colonialism. But the mediocrity with which Africa has been ruled has been responsible." He called for leaders to speak plainly and openly about the continent’s shortcomings. Said Odinga: "Let us say what we mean and mean what we say when we talk about African development."
Africans, said Bingu Wa Mutharika, the President of Malawi, "need to change mindset from ‘afro-pessimism’ to ‘afro-optimism’." Africa, he maintained, "is probably the richest continent in the world but the people are the poorest. Let us recognize that we have all the wealth to enable us to transform our continent and people from poverty to prosperity." Africa, for example, could develop the capacity to produce the food needed to address the emerging global food shortage. The continent must find its role in the global village, Mutharika reckoned. "This is a question that we have glossed over but yet is so fundamental. We have a role to play in the global arena." That role is for Africans themselves to determine, he stressed. "Nobody will develop Africa for us."
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More than 800 participants from 50 countries are participating in the three-day World Economic Forum on Africa, which ends on 6 June.
CNBC Africa is the host broadcaster of the World Economic Forum on Africa.
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests (http://www.weforum.org).
