Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu in Manzini, Eswatini
Africa should embrace its culture as it serves as a moral compass to guide the future and create a strong base for innovation and modernisation, President Mnangagwa has said.
Officially opening the Eswatini International Trade Fair (EITF) here on Saturday, President Mnangagwa said culture is the heartbeat and soul of African nations.
“As Africans, let us continue to embrace our identity, assert our self-sufficiency and sovereignty across all aspects of our lives and economies,” he said.
“By believing in ourselves, valuing our own products and investing in our own industries, we build stronger, sustainable and more resilient economies. At the core of the development of our continent is embracing our own culture, which is the soul and heartbeat of our nations,” said the President.
The President added that preserving such cultural expressions is not only a duty to history, but also a compass to guide future generations.
“It must form the strong base upon which we innovate and modernise our economies.”
President Mnangagwa also urged Africa to harness the “ingenuity” of the youth and entrepreneurial spirit within various communities to develop the continent.
He said the continent should harness the opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure no one and no place is left behind.
The President added that preserving such cultural expressions is not only a duty to history, but also a compass to guide future generations.
“The ingenuity of our young people, resilience of our women and entrepreneurial spirit of our communities should be harnessed to create self-sufficiency and sovereignty in all aspects of our lives,” President Mnangagwa said.
“We, the people of this region and respective jurisdictions, bear the responsibility to develop our economies and to answer the challenges of our times, such as climate change, health pandemics and a fluid global international relations environment.
“Additionally, opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence and the science, technological and innovation space, as well as green technologies, all present numerous prospects for the realisation of development that leaves no one and no place.”
He said the 57th edition of the EITF, through its theme “Digital transformation 2.0 Creating business networks”, was challenging Africans to embrace technology, innovation and connectivity as a foundation for prosperity.
The President said Africa should therefore embrace the technological revolution, which is altering the way communities live and relate to one another.
The public sector, President Mnangagwa added, should leverage technology to ensure quality service delivery and affordable essential services.
He also said African Governments and the business sector should take advantage of technology to raise their respective countries’ Gross Domestic Products.
President Mnangagwa also urged increased people-to-people relations between Zimbabwe and Eswatini to enhance trade, investment and tourism.
He also thanked the people of Eswatini for their support during Zimbabwe’s political and economic isolation.
