Africa must not be drawn into proxy wars: VP Chiwenga

Prosper Ndlovu

AFRICA must boldly assert its sovereignty and not be anybody’s underdog by protecting its unique interests in the face of the unfolding new global economic and geo-political order, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, said yesterday.

While keeping focus on tackling prevailing challenges that limit its growth, most of which are a replica of the colonial legacy, the Vice President said the continent must resist being bullied by foreign powers who are bent on dictating how developing economies must run their countries.

Officially opening the second edition of the Connect Africa Symposium at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo under the theme: “Transformative Innovation, Global Competitiveness,” VP Chiwenga said the future of Africa must be determined by its people, as he rallied regional forces to unite in driving inclusive development of the entire continent.

In line with the Africa Agenda 2063, the Connect Africa Symposium provides a platform for conferring and sharing solutions to the vast social and economic challenges faced by African countries.

Africa’s transformation journey, said VP Chiwenga, comes at a time when the world is grappling with geo-political complications that demand the continent takes a firm stance in jealously defending its socio-political and economic interests.

“We are confronted by wars, which are sure to re-make the global order as we have known it until now. Africa must jealously guard her interest and position in the unfolding global drama,” he said.

“We are no one’s underdog and should not be drawn into foreign wars as proxies of any power or combatant. We have our own challenges to confront and resolve, our mission to thrash and resolve.

“Gone are the days when foreign powers come to our meetings and platforms to overwrite our own agendas. We see repeated attempts at hectoring our Africa into answering to issues quite peripheral to its interests. That must end.”

The Vice President also asserted that growing attempts by bigger powers to fight over African resources, which they want to control and to dictate partnerships and friendships for their selfish benefit, must be resisted.

“We know our interests. We do not need to be lectured through rank hypocrisy,” he said.

“We must put our foot down as a continent, look to ourselves, and assess partnerships for how well they serve us, now and in future. That is the Africa we want and seek to build.”

Calling for the putting minds together to ensure realisation of Africa’s aspirations for inclusive social and economic development that ‘leaves no one and no place behind’, VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe was already forging ahead with this inclusive approach as espoused under President Mnangagwa’s vision of an empowered upper middle-income status by 2030.

“It is this type of inclusive development that we collectively aspired for and envisioned as Africans when we crafted ‘the African Union’s Vision 2063 Agenda’,” he said.

“The African Union Vision is driven by the desire to make Africa a dominant economic force in the world, focusing on realising inclusive social and economic development, regional integration, democratic governance, peace, and security, among other facets.”

In that regard, discussions about advancing Africa to a position of greatness should, therefore, be guided by this objective, VP Chiwenga added.

Pursuant to these broad objectives, he said this year’s edition of the Connect Africa Symposium seeks to address strategies for unlocking of Africa’s potential, with focus on innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development.

He challenged delegates, who included regional and international business stakeholders, diplomats, and policymakers to ensure that conversations on the platform bring solutions to unlocking Africa’s potential and overcoming any handicaps.

VP Chiwenga said the Connect Africa Symposium was Zimbabwe’s recognition of the collective quest to create a sustainable legacy for Africa’s posterity.

Such a path demands an aggressive push to unleash Africa’s potential to become a united and prosperous economic giant, which is at the heart of the vision of the founding fathers of the continent who fought colonialism to deliver an independent Africa.

Africa remains a very rich land with potential yet to be tapped, explored and harnessed, said VP Chiwenga while urging increased collaboration towards uplifting the livelihoods of ordinary people across the continent.

“With the lion’s share of the world’s agricultural land; minerals, oil and gas reserves, the African economy, if we desire, will sustain itself for several decades to come and even beyond, as well as set up Africa as the ultimate independent hub for innovation, development, and global progress,” he said.

Despite the disruptive impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said Africa must forge ahead with rebuilding its economies and commended businesses for adopting innovative strategies such as e-networking, digital technologies and enhanced health and safety measures to keep afloat.

These have enabled Africa to come out better, more economic and adaptable force through competition, innovation, and solidarity.

The Vice President said the key lessons for Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa were that Africa’s young population is a big resource that should be harnessed to drive domestic growth while embracing innovation was critical to accelerating development in different facets, such as policymaking, infrastructure development, industrial processes, and other economic activities.

“This calls for the need to craft and implement strategies to adapt to emerging trends as the needs of our economies change. In the context of the legacy we are looking to build for Africa, development and solidarity are harmonious steps in repositioning the continent to a position of excellence,” said VP Chiwenga.

Hence the industrialisation of Africa must take center stage as a key building block towards successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, creating and maintaining fruitful and sustainable trade relationships, regionally, across the continent and the world, as well as leveraging Africa’s unique advantages for a place at the top of global competitiveness.