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THE third and biggest India-Africa Forum summit opened in New Delhi, India, yesterday with President Robert Mugabe joining 50 other Heads of State and Government for the largest gathering of African leaders outside the continent. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, keen to make serious inroads into the continent, has laid out the red carpet to African leaders and spared no expenses in putting on a show which betrays his country’s ambitions to establish on a foothold in Africa.
As African Union chairperson, President Mugabe is one of the focal points of the summit and will be leading discussions around trade and other bilateral issues with emphasis on win-win partnerships. In his opening remarks yesterday, PM Modi announced a $600 million fund to assist development projects in Africa and described India and Africa as the “two bright spots of hope in the global economy”.
“The hearts of 1.25 billion Indians and 1.25 billion Africans are in rhythm. We are united by youth — two thirds of India and Africa are below 35. And, if the future belongs to the youth, then this century is ours to shape and build,” Modi said. Although India’s trade with Africa has doubled to about $72 billion since 2007, it’s still a relatively minute figure compared to China’s massive $200 billion annual figure which makes it the continent’s largest trading partner.
Like China, India’s economy has been growing in leaps and bounds over the years and Africa can benefit from its expertise in Information Communication Technology, medicine, institution building, education and agriculture. In return, India hopes to tap into Africa’s vast natural resources to feed its growth.
India and many countries in Africa face similar challenges and both can learn from each other. For instance, Zimbabwe and other African countries have successfully launched mobile banking platforms and India can learn from this.
On the other hand, India’s pharmaceutical products, the generic drugs which have been opposed by big multinational drug companies from Western countries, have saved millions of lives in Africa. The copy-cat drugs made by Indian pharmaceutical companies have brought down the prices of drugs, and brought down the cost of treating HIV/Aids to affordable levels.
Today, Indian pharmaceutical products provide 80 percent of medicines in poorer African nations. This summit therefore provides both sides with an opportunity to interrogate possible areas of cooperation. Zimbabwe, through its economic blueprint Zim-Asset, has adopted beneficiation as one of its focal points. India has expertise, for instance, in polishing diamonds and this is one of the key areas the two countries can cooperate on. While Africa has natural resources, it lacks the capital and know- how to process them into finished products and countries like India can assist in this regard.
The continent has suffered from the plunder of its raw materials by Western multi-national companies from the days of colonialism. However, it has begun to assert itself, particularly under the leadership of President Mugabe. We feel India can learn from the experience of the Chinese that Africa needs to be treated as an equal when it comes to trade and that it will not countenance a situation where it is dictated to.
Under Cde Mugabe’s stewardship, a resurgent Africa is now taking charge of its own affairs and has worked out a blueprint for development for the year 2063. India would be best advised to study it and align African priorities with its own activities. In Zimbabwe’s case, the country needs money to fully operationalise Zim-Asset and we hope this is one of the key areas which the Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa, who is in India for the summit, will be seized with.
The NewZim Steel deal which the country signed with Indian conglomerate Essar, is still outstanding with the company yet to revive operations at its steel plant in Kwekwe due to some unresolved matters. We pray that the Zimbabwean delegation thrashes out the niggling bottlenecks preventing the deal from being fully consummated so that the giant firm starts operations.
We reported yesterday that 21 Indian companies have expressed interest in investing in Zimbabwe. We welcome this development and hope they follow through on their intentions.
India is also hoping to use the summit to get the support of as many African countries as possible for its bid for permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council.
We are sure the African leaders will be willing to back it provided it is willing to stop the abuse of the Security Council by a Western cabal of permanent seat members led by Britain and the United States. China and Russia have been a bulwark in stopping US/UK arm-twisting of the UN organ to further their agendas. The two have used their veto powers to protect countries such as Zimbabwe against the bully-boy tactics of the Anglo-Saxon axis.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu