This month's edition of New African magazine, dubbed 'The Thinker's Issue' is guest edited by Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, with contributions from Thabo Mbeki, former South African President and Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Nigeria's former Minister of Finance, among others.
As world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly to renew global commitments to poverty reduction and sustainable development at the 2015 Sustainable Development Summit, Dr Lopes leads the special contributors as they analyse and share interesting, if not controversial insights on Africa's current and future dispensation, touching on issues such as socio-economic inequality, smart protectionism and industrialisation. He says: "There is a need for the pursuit of a strong and aggressive industrialisation agenda, supported by deeper regional integration and underpinned by an African leadership that provides clear vision and mobilises all sectors of society behind the development imperative."
As the world embarks on a new set of development goals, Dr Lopes and his co-guests in this Special Edition, also highlight four megatrends that will impact the world - and favour Africa: the youth, urbanisation, the spread of ICTs and the management of climate change. Their views are further consolidated in an exclusive interview with Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, in which he not only discusses Africa, but also talks about the issue many want answers to - is he or is he not running for a third term? The interview reveals deep insights into one of Africa's increasingly enigmatic leaders.
The President speaks at length on the issue of lifting the two-term rule in order to extend his term, and states categorically that the desire for a constitutional amendment is people-driven and not up to him in any way. He says: "The 3.7 million Rwandans who have signed the petition and the many others besides, are the ones who are saying, let's change the constitution - after all, we wrote it in the first place. It is not me! Therefore, if, for them, they think they are going to change the constitution, that is their business. I respect the constitution, and will continue to respect the constitution made by the people".
In this in-depth, broad- ranging interview, President Kagame also gives his views on 'Western-style' democracy, traditional conflict-resolution strategies and the African mindset. He talks openly and frankly about his anti-corruption stance, the rationale behind his gender-equality agenda and the role of women in his country's socioeconomic development programme.
This October also issue features a Guest Opinion piece by Namibian President Hage Geingob who speaks about an empowered, strategically positioned Africa - one that can attract investment, develop further and maximise its human and natural potential.
Thabo Mbeki, former South African President, writes on the thorny issue of the illicit tax flows that unabatedly drain the continent's resources and result in Africa losing US$50 billion each year. The respected former Nigerian Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo Iweala offers her thoughts on how Africa should finance the Sustainable Development Goals, using home-grown solutions, an issue highlighted further by McKinsey's Acha Leke, who analyses how revenue - the 300billion dollar question - can be generated through improving tax compliance and collection in Africa.
The October issue of African Business is out now, and heading to newsstands across the globe, but is digitally now via http://www.exacteditions.com/newafrican . It is also available on Apple and Android app stores.
