Pretoria, Monday
AN envisaged mechanism to enforce an African code of conduct on good and democratic governance would function independently of political institutions, President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday.
”(It should be) able to make a judgment not influenced by political authorities on the continent,” he told reporters in Pretoria after a meeting of regional leaders on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).
”It has been agreed that the peer review mechanism should be independent of political institutions on the continent.”
Details on this mechanism would be finalised around June 10 or 11, Mbeki said.
The meeting on Nepad was also attended by visiting Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who chairs the G8 group of the seven most industrialised nations plus Russia.
Also present were the heads-of-state of Malawi, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Namibia. Zambia was represented by Vice President Enoch Kavindele.
At a G8 summit held in Genoa, Italy, last year, the industrialised countries welcomed Nepad as an initiative to lay the basis for a new partnership between Africa and the developed world.
The group also appointed a representative to liaise with Africa on devising concrete plans to put Nepad into affect. These proposals will put to the G8 at its next summit in Canada in June.
Mbeki said the Nepad implementation committee had agreed that African countries should have a code of conduct with regard to good political and economic government.
The peer review mechanism would seek to ensure African countries complied with these rules.
Chretien said his impression was that southern African countries were working closely to have practical proposals ready for the G8 summit in June.
”When … the Nepad executive will come to Canada in June, the plan will be quite well-defined,” he said.
”There will a clear view on human rights, democracy, the rule of law, transparency and good governance. It’s an occasion to start growth again in Africa.”
Chretien fielded several questions from Canadian journalists about South Africa’s approach to the fight against HIV-Aids.
One wanted to how Canada could work with a government which he said refused to use antiretrovirals against the disease.
”This is a South African problem that has to be resolved here,” the prime minister said.
Asked whether the prevalence of Aids could not affect trade between countries, Chretien said all governments were obliged to promote the health of its citizens.
”If they don’t, people become sick and there is less productivity. There’s no doubt about it. We are contributing to help them solve problems.”
But Canada could not lay down pre-conditions, saying it would only do business with a country once HIV-Aids levels were down, Chretien said.
Mbeki said the meeting of regional leaders voiced concerns over a brain drain from the region. An example was the number of nurses who opted to work abroad after being trained in their own countries.
Other issues that came up included the question of debt relief for poor African countries, Chretien said.
Developed nations might in future give more grants and fewer loans to developing countries.
”There is no consensus at the moment,” Chretien said. – Sapa