Ramaphosa challenge to leaders
AFRICAN leaders must ask themselves what type of Africa they would bequeath to the youth – ashes or Africans rising.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his closing speech yesterday at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Durban that Africans needed practical solutions and less theory.
He asked if future generations would inherit ashes, and whether today’s leaders were providing half-baked solutions or the best outcomes.
“We need to understand that our actions now will determine the future of our continent. I could not agree more with Mr Klaus Schwab’s opening remarks to this forum when he said leaders should serve their communities, that future generation, rather than serve themselves.
“I’d like to believe we understand what needs to be done. If all of us can put the interests of our people first, we will see Africans rising.”
Ramaphosa said it was heartbreaking to see young Africans being economically inactive and “this is a matter that should concern all of us”.
There was a need to capacitate Africans with skills that would prepare them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “The development of Africa’s children and its youth needs to be at the centre of all our economic policies. This means we must invest as much in early childhood development as we do in energy, communications and infrastructure. It means we must act with urgency to end Aids, malaria, TB and other diseases, not only so that we may save lives, but so that the people of this continent should be able to prosper.”
An education overhaul was needed. “As we pursue new standards of research and learning, we need to ensure that we focus on the education of girls and young women. We need to ensure that the rural poor on our continent and those displaced by conflict are also able to access quality education. We need to ensure education reduces inequality not perpetuates it.
“The mineral resources that we have are prone to massive fluctuation and demand as well as price; unless we have the technology and the knowledge and the industrial capacity to beneficiate, our people will only derive a fraction of their economic value.”
Ramaphosa said bold and responsible leadership was required from government, civil society and the private sector.
“As we leave Durban, let us leave understanding the urgency of the task at hand.”
Speaking to a contingent of local and international journalists during an impromptu session after his closing speech, Ramaphosa was flooded with questions regarding the ANC leadership race.
He responded: “The issue of leadership in the ANC is a matter that is going to be determined by the branches of the ANC. Those branches are going to have their say in December. So watch this space, wait until December, and the members of the ANC will say who they want to be their leader.”