Africa needs development, De Klerk says

2011-09-17 08:59

Johannesburg - Greater emphasis needs to be put on development in Africa, former president FW de Klerk said on Friday.

"Yes Africa needs aid, but more importantly it needs development," he said during a dialogue with European Union President José Manuel Barroso in Johannesburg.

"I would like to see an even more coherent international policy with regard to Africa from the EU. Does the EU and United States have a coherent policy for Africa?" De Klerk asked.

He said the African continent had to try entice those Africans who had studied overseas to return. Development would be the draw card.

"We need to wake up the sleeping giant," De Klerk said referring to Africa.

There were three challenges facing this century. These were the environment, which was seriously threatened, poverty and diversity.

"We need to win the war against poverty. The cure for this is education and development."

Barroso said it was "extraordinary" that in the 21st century the world was still accepting poverty.

"Poverty is a scandal."

The EU was "proud" it had donated €22.7bn to alleviate poverty in Africa.

De Klerk said South Africa made diversity work, but it was important that minorities were not left feeling marginalised.

"South Africa showed that you can build one united nation... a rainbow nation," he said.

Barroso said South Africa had a special role to play in the new world order.

"South Africa is the only African country who's a member of the G20. South Africa is a global actor and deservedly so."

The EU, South Africa and the African Union had a shared economic vision.

"The world's largest market [Europe] and Africa's largest market [South Africa] can have an impact on so many lives," said Barroso.

No strangers

Neither Africa nor Europe were strangers to the struggle for freedom.

Barroso said the EU, whose members had experienced fascism and other forms of oppression and still achieved democracy, had a responsibility to help others struggling for freedom.

"When people rise and demand their dignity and freedom we must stand by them."

He said Europe had to help Libya out of "a moral duty".

The EU would help replenish Africa and would spare no effort to help restore peace around the continent, said Barroso.

Former Cape Town University vice-chancellor Njabulo Ndebele, who joined De Klerk and Barroso, said he felt an uneasiness over the situation in Libya.

He recalled how he had been watching the news on Friday morning and saw British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy arriving in Libya looking confident.

"What I was seeing was a sophisticated, modern replay of the history of the relationship between Africa and the EU.

"In the world today, the stories of the people of Libya are being told by the EU."

He said Cameron and Sarkozy should have "thought more before they rushed to Libya to celebrate their role" in Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's downfall.

"A thing like that can have very lasting impressions on people in Libya."

Ndebele said the world had become very small and the chief characteristic of a diminishing world was the speed with which things happened. More powerful countries were able to retain power because they could respond to situations more quickly.

"Things happen so fast and we don't have the time to reflect. This puts great stress on transparency," said Ndebele.

Dealing with the situation in Libya required a humility and ethics which were imperative to global politics today.

Ndebele said the question that needed to be asked was: "What policies for the future does Africa have for itself?"

- SAPA