South Africa’s Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on Monday told Western newspaper editors to stop generalising about Africa and concentrate more on the continent’s success stories.
Issues of real concern, such as Western poaching of Africa’s best and brightest talent, were being overlooked as the world’s media focused on wars and poverty, she told the annual world congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) in the Scottish capital.
”Editors have been making choices on how they see Africa — and they have tended to see the dark side,” President Thabo Mbeki’s deputy told representatives from the world’s press.
”Over-generalisation has had the specific result of dishing out collective punishment to all in the continent and discouraging investment, thus holding back progress.
”Out of 54 countries in Africa, only five are in conflict in 2006. Yet the 49 countries are easily compromised by failure to acknowledge peace in most countries and note success of individual nations.”
In a special debate session on Africa, the IPI looked at how the continent topped the news agenda in July last year — because of the Group of Eight (G8) world powers’ summit in Scotland and the Live 8 concerts — then was blown off the front pages by the terror bombings in London.
”Africa, notwithstanding its challenges, has a good story that needs to be told, and told much better,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
”It would be wrong to conclude that Africa is a dying continent with no capacity ever to take-off. There are opportunities for investment in Africa, which are often obscured.
”The poaching of resources is one of our biggest challenges. We think we deserve some compensation. The story of brain drain is a big story that needs to be told.
”The African story is good, but like any good drama, it also has tragedies, sad and happy endings, humour and joy if you search for the facts.
”I believe Africa has had its fair share of very bad and inaccurate, over-generalised criticism, with many dire consequences.”
Delegates in Edinburgh also debated how Western newspapers covered the upsurge in Chinese investment into Africa in recent years.
The IPI is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from some 120 countries, dedicated to press freedom.
Its three-day congress brings together about 450 participants from 60-odd countries to thrash out burning issues in the world’s press. — AFP
