Speaker, Ministers Honourable members and guests
Introduction
The 50th congress of the ANC held in Mafikeng in the year 1997 took a resolution on 'International policy and Priorities' thus committed our organisation to initiate a process of developing a theoretical framework and strategy to give meaning to our vision of the African renaissaince, whose insight is that if Africa were to unleash its economic and political potential energies it could achieve accelerated development. The implementation of this resolution resulted to the development of the African Union and Nepad.
The African renaissance is a clarion call for the rebirth of Africa. A call to all those who love Africa and her people to emancipate this continent from poverty, hunger disease wars and underdevelopment.
The African Renaissance as a vision has the following objectives Peace, Security and stability
On the African Union Chairperson it must be mentioned that the organisation of African Unity which preceded the African Union had adopted a principle of respecting boundaries inherited form colonialism and operated on the basis of two legal instruments nam
An extra ordinary summit of the OAU was held on the 9th September 1999, with the objective of amending the OAU charter to increase its effectiveness and efficiency. This then resulted in the conclusion of Sirte declaration which had the following!
This was then followed by the OAU summit in Lome Togo in July 2000 which adopted the constitutive Act of the Africa Union of which Heads of States clearly recognesed the need to do away with 1963 compromise that of respecting boundaries inherited from colonialism. South Africa signed on the 8th September.
At the OAU Summit Lusaka, Zambia July 2001
For the first three years of the organisation focus has been on putting in place structures that will be able to deliver on the scope of the Constitutive Act and also a decisions by the Assembly and Executive Council.
One of the organs of AU is the Pan African Parliament which is refered to as the people's organ. It consist of five parliamentarians per member state and one of them must be a woman. It will have an advisory role for the first five years of its existence it was launched in March 2004. This organ through their elected representatives will make major contributions in terms of African Unions objective that of promoting democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance. It must also be mentioned that as a country we have offered to host PAP and we believe that we have what it takes. The Peace and Security Council is another organ.
Peace and Security Council is a decision making organ aimed at the prevention, Management and conflict resolution. It is made of 15 members, 5 serving two terms Peace and Security council was inaugurated on the 25 May 2004. South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Ethopia and Gabon are the five countries elected in March to serve three years. The above developments on the AU and its organs chairperson are a realisation of the insight of the African Renaissance that if Africa can unleash her economic as well as political energies accelerated development could be achieved.
Now turning to Nepad
The new Partnership for Africa's development. It is a vision and strategic framework for Africa's renewal, an intergrated socio-economic development framework for Africa which seks to unleash Africa's economic potential as envisage by the African Renaissance vision. It has the following
Primary objectives
The 2nd is sectoral priorities e.g Infrastructure (Transport, Energy ICI water and sanitation followed by resource mobilisation and cross cutting issues.
To measure performance on these key focal areas as per Nepad Programme an instrument called African peer Review Mechanism and it focus on priority areas such Peace and Security, democracy and political governance management. Countries share best practices promote learning and provide assistance. 19 countries signed the Mou to join the APRM and the Secretariat is operational in Midrand. South Africa's first review will be in the first quarter of 2005.
On sectoral priorities chairperson a short term Action on infrastructure is developed and feasibility studies on for example development of the Water Sector by all regional economic communities have been developed. This then means that Nepad is now in its implementation stage. There are also envisaged investment project e.g West Africa Gas pipeline - Ecowas Project and Irrigation Development and water Management Progress.
All these are mentioned to indicate Progress Nepad is making through Regional Economic communities. Civil Society is also involved through Economic, Social and Cultural Council. Private Sector is also mobilised through Nepad business Group, Eskom DBS and Industrial Development Coporation.
Earlier in this deliberation it was mentioned that one objective of African Renaissance is to transform International institutions like United Nations Nepad is now in the Agenda of the United Nations eg. In it resolution 57/7 of the 4 November 2002 the general assembly requested the United Nations to align its activities with Nepad priorities to enhance its advocacy role and public information activities in support of Africa's development, foster a coherent response, including organizing their activities around thematic clusters at regional level and working in close collaboration with bilateral donors strengthen further their existing co-ordination programming.
So far Nepad has achieved among others! The following (conflict Resolution DRC Buruholi Angola
What remains challenges for Nepad are the following to mention a few! Strengthening human, financial technical capacity of African States
This then calls to all of us to redouble our efforts in ensuring the realisation of our African to vision as we continue celebrate our tenth year of democracy we must look toward to in future celebrate concrete results Nepad .