Africa needs a ”fair break” from the rest of the world and the determination to address its own problems, former president FW de Klerk said on Wednesday.
In a lecture at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for International Political Studies, De Klerk said there is an unfair perception that Africa is lagging further and further behind in the global race.
He said that while there are still ”too many” African states that conform to the stereotype of poverty, conflict and tyranny, this problem is not confined to the continent.
”Such states conform to the stereotype not because they are African, but because poverty, tyranny and conflict go hand in hand throughout the world and throughout history and not just in Africa … the problem, accordingly, is poverty — and not Africa,” De Klerk said.
The challenge for the world and for Africa is to address the causes of the cycle of poverty, conflict and tyranny on the continent.
De Klerk said it is a challenge Africa accepts, but that there are some facets of economic policy that African countries must address urgently.
Africans should stop the flight of capital from the continent, and African countries should liberalise their own tariffs and expand inter-regional trade.
Steps should be taken to increase Africa’s diminishing share in global trade — which had declined from 2% in 1980 to 1% in 1999.
”Although First World nations are quick to give lip service to the need to help develop African economies, they are often ruthless when their own interests are adversely affected,” De Klerk said.
On the political front, he said, the continent has still some way to go to promote democracy.
”We need to apply the peer-review mechanisms more fearlessly. This will not happen if African leaders continue to avoid criticism of countries like Zimbabwe.
”The future of our continent depends on our ability as Africans to establish peace and stability, to promote genuine democracy and to ensure basic standards of good governance,” De Klerk said. — Sapa