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We'll find our own way - Tokyo
13/06/2007 15:39 - (SA)
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| Tokyo Sexwale, Executive chairperson of Mvelaphanda holdings, at a press conference at the World Economic forum on Africa at the Cape Town International convention centre. (Gianluigi Guercia, AFP)
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Troye Lund
Cape Town - "Don't compare Africa to other countries. Africa will find its own way and it won't be the Indian and Chinese way," warned Tokyo Sexwale, executive chairperson of Mvelaphanda Holdings and a potential candidate to succeed President Thabo Mbeki.
Speaking as one of five co-chairs of the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town this week, Sexwale took exception to suggestions that Africa should be adopting Indian and Chinese strategies to accelerate economic development and growth.
While Africa, China and India all had populations of just under 1 billion people, Sexwale added that the biggest and most significant comparison to be made was that China and India were all controlled by one central government. Africa has 53.
"Comparisons cannot be made between Africa and the other two countries. Even though the continent's economic growth is said to be almost 6%, the fact is that this does not apply equally to all countries," he said emphasising how each country found itself in a unique and particular economic, cultural and social situation.
Angola, for example, grew by 17.4% last year compared with the 4.4% by which the Zimbabwean economy declined.
Sexwale, who has said that he would be keen to take up the presidential cudgels after Mbeki if nominated to do so, did however agree that Africa would have to take advantage of the "Chindia" strategies of fast tracking economic growth.
One of the other WEF co-chairs Li Ruogu, who's chairperson of the Export-Import Bank of China agreed with Sexwale.
But, he urged African states to realise that there was no way around globalisation. They all had to get on the bandwagon if they want development and economic growth.
Ruogu urged the West to realise that transparent government was not a prerequisite for economic growth and development. Rather, economic growth and development came first and were a prerequisite for a good, transparent government.
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