Africa in union 3 2015 by All Media Africa International

The magazine of the african union commission

MultiChoice Africa offers world class entertainment anytime, anywhere, on any device MultiChoice Africa has over twenty years’ experience as a Pay TV operator in Africa, offering cutting-edge digital technology and a selection of DStv and GOtv bouquets containing premium television channels for subscribers in 50 African countries and the adjacent Indian Ocean islands. Many of our viewers are not aware of the vast machinery that delivers DStv and GOtv and rightfully so – our business is providing top quality entertainment while yours is to enjoy the experience. The Pay TV environment is continually evolving with the migration from analogue to digital terrestrial TV (DTT). The migration is mandatory in order to continue delivering exciting programming of the best quality that enhances subscriber viewing pleasure. Digital broadcasting is far more efficient, allowing for better picture and sound quality, the capability for enhanced applications (such as electronic programme guides) as well as the potential to increase the

Dishingup Africa’sfinest.

amount and variety of television content, in essence, increasing consumer choice. MultiChoice remains committed to the digital migration process and will continue to work closely with governments and all stakeholders across the continent to ensure that this is a seamless platform, enabling great family entertainment at affordable prices. GOtv is our answer to the digital migration as it a low cost market offering that provides great family entertainment at a price everyone can afford. GOtv has channels ranging from news, children’s programming, documentaries, series, sport and movies. Through our premium channels; M-Net, Africa Magic and Supersport we have changed the face of African entertainment by promoting and harnessing quality productions. Our continued commitment to invest local skills development has not only resulted in ongoing training of African film crews and production staff in the creative, sport, technology and related industries but also contributed to the empowerment of locals as many of our offices are now 100% run by locals throughout the continent.

Investing in Africa

• N9 billion ($58 million) in outside broad-

• Investment into our installer and distributor

cast (OB) vans and commissioned Africa’s

programmes such as the Super Dealer net-

With our roots firmly entrenched in Africa,

first high definition (HD) studio in sports,

work, which has created many employment

MultiChoice has continued to prioritise its

training, production and broadcasting

opportunities and provided employment to

investment in promoting local film and tele-

coverage.

thousands of entrepreneurs

vision entertainment while collaborating

• N135 million ($871 000) in Nigerian

with talented local film makers in creating

basketball sponsorship.

In Kenya the investment made amounts to

authentic African stories.

• N15 billion ($100 million) in VAT and

Ksh.1.5 billion in local content production,

various company taxes since 1999.

state-of-the-art M-Net and SuperSport

In Nigeria alone the company has together

• N5 billion ($30 million) invested in the

Studios in Nairobi and various skills sharing

with its partners made an investment of

business as capital investment.

initiatives. This includes:

over N55 Billion (nearly $350 Million), this

• Outside Broadcast vans valued at

includes:

This amount excludes:

Sh 250 million.

• N32.4bn invested in content via its

• More than N70 million ($450 000) spent

• Total taxes amounting to Ksh 2,361,000,000

premium channel providers, M-Net and

on staff and value chain development and

(paid to Kenya Revenue Authority over the

SuperSport.

training.

last 3 years).

• N21bn invested in technology.

• License fees paid to the National Broad-

• Total Dividends amounting to

• N1.7bn in people development.

casting Commission (NBC).

Ksh 370,000,000 paid to Kenya Broadcasting

• N8.4 billion ($54.2 million) to the

• Approximately N150 million ($1million)

Corporation over the last 3 years).

construction of a new head office in Ikeja,

invested on training in television production

• Building of a state of the art studio at a

Lagos.

skills.

cost of Sh500m.

OAU

African Union Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma We pay tribute to the pioneers of Pan-Africanism, on the continent and in the Diaspora, and to the Founders of the OAU for their wisdom and foresight to lay the foundations for the unity and solidarity of Africa.We congratulate all African and Diaspora women, youth, workers, business, professionals, farmers, artists, intellectuals and civil society, for their commitment to the African cause. We salute the heroines who fought in the struggles against slavery, colonialism and apartheid, who founded the Pan African Women’s Organisation in 1962 and who demonstrated in words and action that human rights are indivisible and that the liberation of women is not an act of charity.We lower our banners as we remember those who made the supreme sacrifice in the struggle for the liberation of Africa, and who restored our dignity. These early generations embodied the Pan African values of selflessness, solidarity and service to the people, as in the part of the Oath taken by Amilcar Cabral in 1969 when he said:- “I swear that I will give my life, all my energy and all my courage, all the capacity that I have… until the day that I die, to the service of my people, of Guinea and Cape Verde... and to the service of the cause of humanity… This is what my work is.” Africa’s struggle against colonialism, oppression and apartheid experienced solidarity and international support from all freedomloving people of the world.The OAU exhibited the spirit of internationalism as it championed the African cause and supported the struggles of oppressed people in other parts of the world. We are therefore pleased to celebrate with all our friends from across the globe, and continue to reinforce our solidarity and cooperation. Across the length and breadth of Africa and in capitals of the world, Africa Day is being celebrated. Our 50th anniversary is a beacon of the spirit of internationalism, solidarity and cooperation.Fellow Africans, we re-dedicate ourselves to the total restoration of our dignity and independence. We pledge to restore the dignity of the African child, man and woman. We pledge to free ourselves from malnutrition and hunger, war and conflict, ignorance and disease, unemployment and poverty. We pledge to take our destiny in our own hands, because “power resides in hard work, scientific investigations, in intellectual curiosity, in creative greatness and freedom, in the fullest exploration of our human powers, and in the truest independence.” We pledge to foster stronger bonds – educational, cultural, political and economic – with the Diaspora. As we start the journey of the next fifty years, we are clear about the task before us: to educate our populace, and ensure healthy bodies and minds; to modernize and expand Africa’s infrastructure and connect our peoples and countries; to grow our agriculture and agro-businesses so that we can feed ourselves and the world; to use our natural resources to industrialise and grow our shared prosperity; to invest in science, technology, research and innovation as enablers of rapid progress; and finally to empower women and youth as the drivers of Africa’s renaissance. As we therefore develop Agenda 2063, we call on all Africans and the Diaspora to contribute to this journey, so that Africa takes its destiny into its own hands, so that we become masters of our own fate. We are proud to be African. In this great task, let us think like men and women of action. And act like men and women of thought. My Brothers and sisters, this is your time. This is Africa’s time. Let us seize the moment. Shukran Asante sane Merci beaucoup, Obrigade I thank you.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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Contents

4 Foreword Dr. Nkosazana Zuma - AUC Chairperson 6 Foreword Mr Mwencha - AUC Deputy Chairperson 8 Editor’s Note Leader

The dream lives on

Innovation: IT

20 24

Made in Africa: Silicon Valley in Africa AUC Leadership

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Foreword (Deputy Chairperson AUC)

Rising to the occasion

Africa has been invigorated by unexpected news. In December 2013, the Ebola outbreak was first reported in Guéckédou, a forested area of Guinea near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone. By late March, the disease had moved across border. Liberia reported eight suspected cases and Sierra Leone six. The cases kept growing. The African Union (AU) said this is the worst to be experienced since the first outbreak in 1976. Prior to the outbreak, our GDP growth was projected to accelerate to 5.0% in 2014 and 5.1% in 2015, at the backdrop of continuing relatively high commodity prices, increasing domestic demand and improved economic governance and management among African countries, but those hopes are now muted. This has however, not dimmed our response, though the epidemic overstretched the capacity of member states, to adequately provide health care in an environment where national budgetary allocations to the health sector remain lean and at best, insignificant. Our response to Ebola started in April 2014 at the first African Ministers of Health in Angola. We called for assistance from member states with experience in handling the Ebola epidemic. The pandemic had caught everyone unaware. Absence of certified treatment made it worse. By the end of June, 759 people had been infected and 467 people had died from the disease. As the disease continued its onslaught, some African countries responded by sending experts. In fact, three groups of volunteers who include doctors, laboratory experts, data analysts and communication experts from different African countries were sent to the affected countries. The international community came to the fray. They brought funds and expertise. Suffice to say, some countries mulled closing their boarders. Some actually banned, for a while flying into the affected countries. In August 2014, we released US$1 million from the Union’s Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa - a miniscule, considering the gigantic

proportions of the problem. But the African magnanimity and philanthropic spirit had begun to open up. Our AU staff members actually donated US$100 000 from their pockets to the Ebola effect. The pandemic roused African leaders to push for the establishment of the African Centre for Disease Control. In July 2013, at the African Union Special Summit on HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria (ATM), the African Union Commission was mandated to coordinate efforts for the speedy establishment of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. We hope that the centre will be functioning by mid-2015, as long as the comprehensive terms of reference are designed, minimum infrastructure available and human resource capacity pooled. The disease brought a renewed sense of purpose. Ebola resulted in 14 098 cases and 5 160 deaths. The disease has been contained in other areas but fears of it flaring up have put each and every one of us on guard. We have called African business people to take action. On 9 November, they pooled a total of US$31 million. The private sector donated US$21 million and US$10 million came from the African Development Bank. The work is not done yet. We will use the funds to support an African medical corps – including doctors, nurses and lab technicians – to care for those infected with Ebola, strengthen the capacity of local health services and staff Ebola treatment centres in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. This catastrophic incident is one way of raising our consciousness. Better preparedness for disasters and outbreaks is needed for the future.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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Contents

All MediA Afr icA international

Agriculture

28 Year of Agriculture 40

in Africa: Foundations for food security

MANAGING EDITOR Grivin Ngongula editor@amafrica.net

Celebrating Africa

COPY EDITOR Pamela Makati

Trade

CONTRIBUTORS Kerry Dimmer, Chantel Venter, Tsitsi Molly Chimhanda, Munyaradzi Makoni

Trade boost in Africa

Health

50 Addressing health issues on the continent 62 AUC’s response to EBOLA 68 Maternity, women’s health & the girl child in Africa 67 Africa’s Peace Mission

72 78

AMISOM: Saving Somalia Company Profile: B igen Africa making waves in Africa

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Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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From the Editor A lot is happening around the world so much so that we are losing our step in trying to keep with global and local events. It seems like a long time but it has been 10 months when Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH)370 disappeared on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. I can try to keep pace by referring to many other events but here at home, AMISOM has done very well in Somalia. The civil war in the country has gone on for many decades with some estimates going over the 1 million mark! Conflict and other epidemics continue to take a big toll on Africa, and the world. In my view, it is quite refreshing to note that the 50+ years since the formation of the Organisation of African Unity have yielded more positive and constructive foundations for the development of the continent. Let us not forget the massive financial capital investment after World War 1. The West, referred to then as Allies, came up with so many endeavours including the much vaunted Marshal Plan. All this and many other efforts were geared towards reconstruction after the guns had gone silent. Fourteen years after taking over the mantle from the OAU, the African Union Commission is trying to keep pace with changing events globally. The face of terrorism and the going threats keep changing. The same requires an equally robust reaction to speak. There are a lot of challenges in tackling terrorism in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information society. I do not share pessimistic sentiments for the future, for Africa. We are not insulated from what happens to the rest of the world. The good thing is we are moving in step with the world, and the leadership at the African Union Commission have realised that. From management and the team at All Media Africa International, we wish our readers a progressive year ahead. Till next time Grivin

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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OAU

The OAU:

the dream from 1963 still burning 50 years on…

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

More than 50 years ago, an organization had a dream to make the African continent free from colonization, to unify its nations, and ultimately boost its economic and social development. Now five decades on Chantél Venter explores some of the Organization of African Unity’s most significant achievements and what the future may hold.

OAU

he late Nelson Mandela, once said: “I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.” It is this dream that was also at the heart of the creation of the OAU Charter in May of 1963, which initially boasted with 37 signatories. Over the past 50 years more nations joined and the OAU still has this goal at the core of every decision it makes. Although the road has not been an easy one, and in spite of the obstacles that may lie ahead, the OAU has been the partner behind many of the successes the continent has achieved over the past five decades.

Scramble for Africa

“Global peace and security, sustainable development, and mediate against the effects of climate change” Over the past fifteen years, the AU has grown in its structure and today it is made up by 13 AU Organs that each preforms a

series of specialized functions. These organs include the AU Commission, the Peace and Security Council, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council, the PanAfrican Parliament etc. The key organ is the AU Commission and it consists of more than 20 departments that proactively contribute towards the functions in each of these unique areas. In her Chairpersonship acceptance speech in 2012, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, expressed what the Commission will aim to accomplish with her in this role. “We must create the conditions to, amongst others, contribute towards global peace and security, sustainable development, and mediate against the effects of climate change. “In pursuance of this objective, as a Commission, we will continue to build on the work of those who came before us and we will continue to work with regional bodies around the world, the UN and all its agencies, including all our co-operating partners to ensure they can contribute in

In the late 1800s, early 1900s Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain had colonialized the majority of the African content. It was called the

Scramble for Africa and once decolonialized after the Second World War, most African countries struggled to get back on their feet. The OAU was established in May 1963 to clear the continent of any remaining colonization, promote the unification of countries and states, to protect its members, and enhance international cooperation. These goals are as noble as they are complex. That is why 36 years on, on the 9th of August 1999, the OAU issued a Declaration that called for the formation of an African Union (AU). The AU’s purpose was to speed up unity, address economic and social issues and assist Africa in taking its rightful place in the global economy.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

helping us to achieve our collectively defined priorities,” she said.

A quest for unity, economic and social development Over the past 50 years the OAU implemented hundreds of initiatives towards the development of Africa by tackling its most concerning problems. Three areas that are particularly noteworthy is the OAU’s contribution towards ridding the continent of colonization, its input towards peace and its commitment to unity through building strong relationships for all African nations with the United Nations (UN). The Organization eradicated colonization through its Liberation Committee that supplied nations with protection and assistance. It also offered training and weapons to nations fighting for their independence. The OAU Declaration on the Political and Social-Economic Situation In Africa and the Fundamental Changes taking place in the World of 1990 together with the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution of 1993 are just two examples of how the OAU initiatives promoted peace and democratic strategies. The OAU’s relationship with the UN makes it a stronger force to reckon with especially when it comes to fighting conflicts and diseases in Africa. With the UN’s assistance The African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur called the UNAMID was established in 2007. The UNAMID project not only focuses on protecting civilians but it also monitors and oversees the implementation of agreements, promotes human rights and monitors the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) to name but a few of its tasks. One of the most economic and social threats for Western Africa and Africa as a whole is the current Ebola outbreak. However, due the AU’s close relationship with the UN and the UN’s Global Ebola Response Coalition, the AU is now in a better position to make instant

interventions and provide Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone with financial aid, equipment, protective clothing, mobile laboratories and other necessities. At the launch of the Global Ebola Response Coalition, Dr. Dlamini Zuma said that “effective disease control is about having strong public health systems in place, with access to health care for all and institutions at national, regional and

successes and it will continue to do so going forward through its commitment to a united and strong Africa. At the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Organization of African Unity held in Addis Ababa, Dr. Dlamini Zuma made a pledge to restore the dignity of Africans and foster stronger bonds with the Diaspora. She also pledged to free Africans from hunger,

“As we therefore develop Agenda 2063, we call on all Africans and the Diaspora to contribute to this journey, so that Africa takes its destiny into its own hands, so that we become masters of our own fate,”

continental levels to share information on diseases. “As we assist the affected countries to respond to this immediate crisis, we must not loose sight of this, so that we build resilience in the long term and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.”

Africa’s destiny in its own hands The work and the initiatives implemented by the OAU and the AU over the past 50 years have created a solid platform for advanced development on an economical and social scale going forward. Recently The Bloomberg Business Week reported on the technical boom Africa has experienced since 2006 and how this is one of the reasons why Sub-Saharan Africa is showing a forecasted economic growth of between 5-6% for 2015. According to the International Monetary Fund this growth rate is one of the fastest in the world. The past has seen the OAU and the AU contribute to many of Africa’s

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

malnourishment, poverty, unemployment, conflict and disease. “As we start the journey of the next fifty years, we are clear about the task before us: to educate our populace, and ensure healthy bodies and minds; to modernize and expand Africa’s infrastructure and connect our peoples and countries,” she said. Dr. Dlamini Zumu also highlights agriculture and agro-business growth because by growing these industries Africa can feed its people as well as the world. She science, technology, research and innovation as areas where investment is required going forward because these are the “enablers of rapid progress”. Furthermore she would like to see women and the youth empowered going forward. “As we therefore develop Agenda 2063, we call on all Africans and the Diaspora to contribute to this journey, so that Africa takes its destiny into its own hands, so that we become masters of our own fate,” she added.

2014 KAMOSO AWARDS

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME (EPWP) The prestigious 2014 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Kamoso Awards Ceremony solidified the Government’s commitment to create over 6 million work opportunities by 2019. The awards were hosted by the National Department of Public Works (NDPW) and were graced by senior political principals in Public Works Minister, TW Nxesi with Executive Mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality Cllr. Kgosientso Government including the Ramokgopa presenting the awards Minister of the Department, This year’s EPWP Kamoso Awards Ceremony is significant because it Hon. T W Nxesi, the Deputy Minister of the Department, Hon.Jeremy took place at the early days of the implementation of Phase 3 of EPWP. Cronin, the Minister of Communications Hon. Faith Muthambi as well as the Executive Mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality Cllr. The State President Jacob Zuma officially launched the Phase 3 of Kgosientso Ramokgopa. EPWP on 03 October 2014 in Keiskammahoek in the Eastern Cape. Addressing delegates at the event, Minister Nxesi urged all In his key note address, President Zuma committed government to implementers of the programme to play a role in the Government’s the creation of more than 6 million work opportunities by 2019. The commitment to create more than 6 million work opportunities. implementation of Phase 3 of EPWP started in March 2014 already. “When we work together we will achieve beyond this target. I The 2014 EPWP Kamoso Awards are also vital because they provided therefore call upon each and every one of you to be part of the Third a platform to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of EPWP as a Phase of EPWP. All Government institutions including Municipalities, Government programme to change people’s lives for the better Departments and State Owned Entities must all work together to through creation of work opportunities. maximise work creation opportunities for our people,” he said. The EPWP has created more than 5.5 million work opportunities The EPWP Kamoso Awards are annual awards that are aimed at since its implementation in 2004. The EPWP created more than 3 rewarding all EPWP implementing agencies who have excelled in the million work opportunities during its Phase 2 - from 2009 to 2014. implementation of the EPWP in the preceding year across all EPWP The achievements of EPWP are proof that this Government cares for sectors, namely: Infrastructure, Non State, Environment & Culture the poor and the unemployed. The Deputy Minister of Public Works and Social Sectors. Jeremy Cronin pointed out that EPWP “is a global leader” among These Awards were first instituted in 2007. other state work programmes in the world. The National Department of Public Works (NDPW) in its role as the The 6 million EPWP work opportunity target will certainly mobilise lead and coordinator of the programme, encourages, motivates, implementers of the programme to redouble their efforts to create recognises and rewards the best performing government departments, these required work opportunities. municipalities, provinces and public bodies for their significant The four key objectives of the Kamoso Awards are; contribution in creating work opportunities for the unemployed. Acknowledge implementing bodies that have performed well; During the 2014 EPWP Kamoso Awards, the KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces were the main stars of the Mobilise Government stakeholders and partners to increase their event as they collectively scooped 19 out of 29 awards. efforts around the implementation of the EPWP. The KwaZulu-Natal Province went all out winning eight (8) awards, Communicate and showcase progress, impact and successes of the including the Best Province in the Infrastructure Sector. EPWP, as a key government programme; and Mpumalanga took home six awards while Gauteng achieved five awards. Increase the visibility of the EPWP and reinforce its objectives to the broader public. Other Provinces that won include the Free State and the Eastern Cape.

“EPWP: changing many lives for the better.” For more information about the Expanded Public Works Programme go to www.epwp.gov.za

Partnerships to transform I

n 2008, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) signed a momentous agreement with the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to work towards increasing food production and food security in Africa. Agriculture has long been a top priority for NEPAD, and to translate that priority into action, it set up the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Under the NEPAD/ CAADP initiative, more than 30 African countries have agreed to increase public investment in agriculture to at least 10 per cent of their national budgets in a concerted effort to increase agricultural growth to 6 per cent annually by 2015. At the time of the signing, Mr Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the UN and AGRA’s Chairman, said, “the institutions will work together with governments and other agricultural investors to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers growing Africa’s staple food crops. They will focus particularly on plans to develop high potential

breadbasket areas in African countries.” He added that, “the new partnership will enable African countries to close the gap between intention and action on behalf of smallholder farmers.” AGRA has several highly integrated programmes that invest in the work of hundreds of grantees operating across the entire agricultural value chain. We invest in strengthening Africa’s seed systems and the development and delivery to farmers of improved, higher yielding varieties of important staple food crops. We work to improve the health and fertility of Africa’s severely degraded soils. We support efforts to improve smallholder access to better, more efficient input and output markets. We work with governments to enhance the development and implementation of evidence-based agricultural policies. Along with our financial partners, we have implemented risk-sharing facilities within a number of commercial banks that are leveraging some 160 million USD in more affordable credit for smallholders and the small agribusinesses

that support them. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of the concept, and are now working with several African governments to dramatically scale up agri-finance initiatives. Finally, we work closely with a large number of farmer associations – through our Farmer Organisation Support Centre in Africa (FOSCA) – to strengthen their business skills and their ability to respond to the needs and demands of their thousands of members.

to support the development and implementation of nationally defined agricultural development strategies and programmes. The two organisations agreed to do this by jointly strengthening country level public policy formulation and implementation capacity; creating a policy and regulatory environment conducive to private sector participation in the agricultural sector; and wherever possible, jointly mobilising and leveraging resources for sustained agricultural growth.

African Agriculture AGRA fully endorses the goals originally set forth in the CAADP framework, and is working with its many partners to strengthen support for achieving the agreed CAADP national-level targets. AGRA and its partners strive to buttress the collaborative relationships needed among national and international development organisations, as well as between private sector and civil society entities, to transform African agriculture. In 2010, the hand of NEPAD was strengthened by the AU’s decision to change it into the NEPAD Planning and Co-ordination Agency (NPCA) – a technical body of the African Union, whose core mandate is to facilitate and co-ordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects. CAADP remains an implementing programme under NPCA. AGRA quickly entered into a formal MoU with NPCA to clearly define how the organisations will collaborate to improve the performance of the African agriculture sector. The effectiveness of CAADP’s efforts at the country level is enhanced by NPCA and AGRA working together

Mrs Jane Karuku, AGRA’s President, notes that, “AGRA is dedicated towards achieving a smallholder agricultural transformation, and our strategy is to identify national breadbasket areas in priority countries and develop them through targeted investment plans that take CAADP agreements with governments as the starting point.” She adds, “NPCA continues to mobilise public support among African governments to prioritise and invest in agriculture. AGRA develops and disseminates the technologies needed by farmers; bolsters policy reform; builds markets, increases the availability of affordable credit, and helps to enable involvement of the private sector. Increased investment will help to make A frican smallholders farmers more productive and more profitable. There are technologies on the shelf today that, if made available to smallholder farmers, especially women, would dramatically improve their farming businesses. Investing in agriculture is investing in Africa’s future.” www.agra-alliance.org

OAU

The African Union Commission (AUC)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to ensure that science and technology in Africa contributes to its sustainable development efforts saw the establishment of the an ambitious strategic science and technology development programme, aimed at contributing to the wellbeing and improved quality of life for the African citizens. BY MUNYARADZI MAKONI

N I E D A A C M RI F A SCIE

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;M E C N

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Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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The plan

Promoting technology-based entrepreneurship, as envisaged by the plan, would help to translate technological ideas into goods and services for economic transformation. The plan stresses the critical role that high-level leaders, especially presidents and prime ministers, can play in fostering interactions among key actors such as government, academia, and business in promoting innovation.

In an effort to produce an ever conducive environment for science and technology growth, African heads of state adopted the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024) at a summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in June. STISA builds on Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action The African Ministerial Conference on Science (CPA). Established in 2005, the CPA and Technology established provided competitive research The African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology grants scheme and several networks of (AMCOST) has been a specialised technical committee of the research excellence. A review in 2013 African Union. recommended that CPA had failed to link with other It promotes pan-African activities, including the development pan-African policies such as continent-wide agriculture of common Science, Technology and Innovation policies and and environmental-protection projects with research programmes in Africa. programmes of their own. It also failed to raise the funds needed As a platform, the Commission uses it to periodically deliberate for its full implementation. on science and technology issues. AMCOST meetings have been AU member states are called to invest more resources in previously held in Congo, Kenya and Egypt. developing science and technology on a national level, and Through the AMCOST, the commission successfully developed to coordinate activities regionally and continentally. Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) Calestous Juma, the Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor in 2005 to secure the continent’s competitive advantage and to of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, and professor of the leverage on its capabilities by focusing home grown research and practice of international development at the Harvard Kennedy development to respond to our challenges and needs. School, worked with the African Union as a high-level advisor to develop the new 10-year plan. ‘This is a bold attempt to reposition Africa as a player Juma told MIT news that the key distinctive feature of the strategy is the in the global knowledge economy,’ Calistus Juma, recognition that Africa cannot sustain economic growth and promote professor of the practice of international development prosperity without significant at the Harvard Kennedy School. investments in technological innovation. ‘This is a bold attempt to reposition Africa as a player in the global knowledge economy. It emphasizes the strategic role of technological innovation in addressing critical The CPA brought together the AUC’s and NEPAD’s science and challenges such as meeting human needs (such as food and technology programmes articulating Africa’s common objectives health), improving international competitiveness through trade in and commitment to collectively use science as a development tool manufactured goods, and protecting the environment,’ he said. through science and technology capacity building; knowledge STISA plans to build infrastructure, mainly energy, transportation, production and management; and technological innovation. water and sanitation, irrigation, and telecommunication, the The CPA addresses the way forward to use science and biggest obstacles to Africa’s economic development. Poor technology as catalysts for sustainable development based on infrastructure is a hindrance to activities ranging from agriculture to its well defined clusters of priority R&D, Policy and Institutional health and scientific research. flagship programmes. The plan will enable Africa to upgrade its technical competence The AU is in the process of replacing its policy forum for and create the skills needed to respond to emerging economic and science ministers with a committee that will be merged with environmental challenges and this will be done through improving their counterparts in education. science, technology, engineering, and maths education. Mahama Ouedraogo, acting director of the AU’s Human Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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a preface to the report, said that there was a growing demand Resource, Science and Technology division, said the specialised for reliable R&D indicators for planning and monitoring purposes. technical committee on education, science and technology will ‘The interest shown by countries is growing and the replace the AMCOST. This is being implemented on other AU programme continues to work on developing the capacity of ministerial conferences to save costs. AU member states to conduct surveys,’ they wrote. Ouedraogo said it is too costly to have a ministerial conference The observatory has been helping policymakers on how to for each sector so heads of state decided to streamline. He foresees a committee that will function along similar lines to AMCOST with a bureau and a steering STISA-2024 brings out corrective measures; it committee, each represented by member states from the continent’s five regions. It will sets out a vision for the continent to use science, include education and science subcommittees to ensure that the sectors receive equal technology and innovation as a tool to boost attention though in 2007, African science economic and social development. ministers were reluctant to collaborate with their counterparts in education fearing the two fields will compete for the same pot of funding. Ouedraogo said that creation of two evaluate and design effective innovation policies. One such subcommittees that will have two chairs will help to ease meeting was jointly organised by the AOSTI and the United concerns. The education and science ministers will decide the Nations University in Nairobi, Kenya, October. structure of the committee when they meet in the first quarter of Bi Irie Vroh, senior science and technology expert at AU, said 2015 at a date and venue that are yet to be finalised. AOSTI will continue to endeavour to increase the visibility of AU’s scientific production, monitor and evaluate Africa’s scientific African STI indicators initiative rolls on production, address gaps in fields of science that are critical to One project, established by CPA, whose services will continue to the growth of today’s knowledge economy and sustain Africa’s be of use through the STISA life span is the African Observatory current scientific growth trend with adequate policy measures. for Science, Technology and Innovation (AOSTI) started in 2009 ‘AOSTI is to play a major role in defining a set of STI indicators through the decision of the AU assembly. The headquarters of required for the implementation of STISA-2024,’ said Vroh. the observatory are in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. One of the first projects by AOSTI is a bibliometric study analysing the number of scientific publications produced in AU awards for research Africa. The African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators The Africa Union research grants programme funded by the EU (ASTII) initiative was established in 2007. It produced the first announced its first winners in 2012. Out of 243 applications, nine African Innovation Outlook in 2011. The second was published projects were selected for funding. The African Union published a in May 2014, and was formally launched at the African Union second call for proposals for its Africa research grants in 2012 as summit in Equatorial Guinea. The study is being used to enable well. Hopes are high that a third call will be announced soon. decision-makers to determine their countries’ scientific strengths – information that can help governments decide where to Mwalimu Nyerere African Union allocate funding. Scholarship Scheme The third phase of the African Science, Technology and When the AU launched the Mwalimu Nyerere African Union Innovation Indicators (ASTII) initiative started in the last quarter Scholarship Scheme in 2007 to empower young Africans in science, of 2014 and will run until December 2017. The third phase will engineering, mathematics and education, anyone could apply; in lead to the production of the third African Innovation Outlook. its second call this year, the focus has been on women only. It will also lead to training more African countries in collecting R&D and innovation indicators. African Union Kwame Nkrumah STI and education indicators will be integrated into the economic Scientific Awards development assessment instrument used by the Africa Peer Review The African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards, formerly Mechanism during the third phase. There is a plan to track trends and known as the African Union Scientific Award Programme, aims to the mobility of scientists on the continent. honour top African scientists for their scientific achievements, Thirty-five countries contributed data to the report, compared valuable discoveries and findings. Established in 2008, prizes are with 19 in the first Africa Innovation Outlook, published in 2010. awarded to top African scientists in each of the following two Ibrahim Mayaki, chief executive of the NEPAD Agency which sectors (a) Life and Earth Science; and (b) Basic Science, implements AOSTI, and Martial De-Paul Ikounga, AU Technology and Innovation, at the national, regional and commissioner for human resources, science and technology, in continental levels.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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AUC Leadership 2012 to 2016 Leadership at the AUC plays a pivotal role in achieving set objectives. These men and women have been instrumental in steering the AUC over the past decade.

H.E Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Chairperson

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

H.E Mr Erastus Mwencha Deputy Chairperson

OAU

H.E. Dr. Aisha L. Abdullahi Commissioner for Political Affairs

Dr. Anthony Mothae Maruping Commissioner for Economic Affairs

H. E. Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Commissioner for Social Affairs

H.E. Ambassador Smail Chergui Commissioner for Peace and Security

H. E. Dr. Martial De-Paul Ikounga Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology

H.E. Mrs. Fatima Haram ACYL Commissioner for Trade and Industry

H.e Dr. Elham Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim

Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy

H. E. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Secretaries General of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 to 2002

Kifle Wodajo (Acting) Took office 25 May 1963 Left office 21 July 1964 Country Ethiopia

Diallo Telli Took office 21 July 1964 Left office15 June 1972 Country Guinea

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

Nzo Ekangaki Took office 15 June 1972 Left office 16 June 1974 Country Cameroon

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William Eteki Took office 16 June 1974 Left office 21 July 1978 Country Cameroon

Edem Kodjo Took office 21 July 1978 Left office 12 June 1983 Country Togo

Ide Oumarou Took office 20 July 1985 Left office 19 September 1989 Country Niger

Salim Ahmed Salim Took office 19 September 1989 Left office 17 September 2001 Country Tanzania

Peter Onu (Acting) Took office 12 June 1983 Left office 20 July 1985 Country Nigeria

Amara Essy Took office 17 September 2001 Left office 19 July 2002 Country Côte d’Ivoire

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Celebrating Agriculture Africa commemorated 2014 as the year of agriculture. From boardrooms, banks, research institutes and universities we track various celebrations that have taken place across Africa. BY MUNYARADZI MAKONI

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

he African heads of state made the declaration to mark the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) following its announcement in Maputo in 2003. CAADP is an innovative programme to revamp the agricultural sector and ensure food and nutrition security in Africa. Rhoda Tumusiime, the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, said the heads of state resolved to declare 2014 as a year of agriculture after the celebrations of 50 years of the establishment of the Organisation of the African Unity to avoid an overlap of the two important events. CAADP has since seen agriculture contributing an average of 4% growth rates per annum across the continent to gross domestic product (GDP) in Africa. The average, public expenditure on agriculture has risen by 7% per year across Africa which has almost doubled since the launch of CAADP. ‘So far, 36 AU Member States have signed CAADP Compacts while 30 have developed National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs). Countries now have frameworks to guide their investments in agriculture,’ Tumusiime said Four out of eight regional economic communities (RECs) have signed regional CAADP Compacts while three have developed fully costed investment plans. It is from this premise that various activities have taken place in Africa to support agriculture this year.

AU partners with AfDB The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, which has partnered with AU on a number of programmes to reduce poverty, promote trade and improve education on the continent, marked the Africa Year of Agriculture and Food Security, on September 29, with a meeting in Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast. The panelists discussed how the continent could sustainably fast-track its transformation through increased investments in the agricultural sector,

intra-regional trade and price stability, to ensure improvements in food security and shared prosperity in Africa. It was agreed that infrastructure that is supportive of agriculture is weak in Africa, and emphasised that heavy investments are needed in both on-farm and off-farm infrastructure along the agriculture value chain. At the meeting, women farmers in Africa were acknowledged for playing an important role and it was agreed that they should be given priority. The huge agriculture financing gap and the impact of climate change on regional agriculture were also noted; and, strategic public-private partnerships were identified as a solution to the financing gap.

crops designated by the AUC in Africa were maize, rice, cassava and wheat. These crops, he said, also constitute the basis of the bank’s US$60 million support to agricultural research at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Africa Rice and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The bank’s new Agriculture Policy and Strategy (2015-2019) support for the development of agricultural value chains in these crops will also involve increased value addition along the supply chain. Africa imports US$25 billion of food annually and improved value addition and processing can improve internal supply

‘CAADP has provided a new momentum for the transformation of the agricultural sector in Africa. It is also one of the reasons why many African countries have already reached the First Millennium Development Goal hunger target of reducing by half the proportion of undernourished people between 1990 and 2015,’ he said.

One key recommendation that came out of the meeting was to practise agriculture innovatively as a business and not only as a means to reduce poverty through commitments to improve environmental impacts and protecting natural resources. The other proposal was to engage in agriculture through an integrated value-chain approach and the need to take measures to fight the effects of climate change. The meeting expressed the need for the sector to attract more youth to participate and address problems of unemployment. Ojukwu Chiji, director of the AfDB’s Agriculture and Agro Industry Department, said the strategic priority

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

and import substitution through domestic production and trade. According to the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), 39 million hectares of agricultural land in Africa is physically suitable for irrigation, yet the percentage of irrigated arable land is 7% (barely 3.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa). Chiji said financing agriculture in the future will have to come from new and innovative ways but, it must start with Governments honouring the Maputo Pledge to allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture.

Governments Tumusiime said the adoption by the heads of state and government of the

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African Union of the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Africa in Agricultural Growth of Transformation, will ensure that they commit themselves to the principles and values of the CAADP process. She said the Malabo declaration specifically seeks to enhance the investment finance in agriculture, end hunger by 2025, halving poverty by 2015 through inclusive agricultural growth and transformation, boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services, strengthen resilience of livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other disasters and mutual accountability by African countries. Tumusiime further said that heads of state had adopted the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A). The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the force driving S3A. The S3A is a long-term strategic framework that stresses the importance of science,

technology and innovation in driving agricultural development. The agenda refers to the scientific knowledge, extension, innovation, policy and social learning Africa needs to apply in order to meet the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolving agricultural development goals. Dr Yemi Akinbamijo, FARA executive director, has said the plan will align all agricultural research for development actors such as agricultural research institutes and national agriculture research stations and key stakeholders in the field of agricultural education and related sciences to promote food and nutrition security; wealth creation; strengthening the

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

competitiveness of African agriculture and the sustainability of the natural resources. Tumusiime shares the same vision that the implementation of the plan should cut across entire value chains of the agrifood systems and help, over the next 10 years, with doubling agricultural productivity, halving postharvest losses, developing strategic agrifood commodities value chains, including the agro-processing and agribusiness stages of these value chains, tripling intra-African trade in agricultural products and services, make at least 30% of farm, pastoral and fisher households resilient to climate change and weather-

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related risks, and eliminate child malnutrition by curbing stunting to 10% and underweight to 5%.

Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture Universities under the banner of Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a grouping of 42 member universities and 19 countries, marked their contribution towards promoting sustainable and profitable agriculture with a week-long conference in Maputo, Mozambique. RUFORUM uses competitive sub-grants and specialised training sessions to produce graduates who can do research that benefits small-holder farmers. Since it started, it has produced 1 283

research and technology, in order to meet its own development targets, and claim its stake in the world and knowledge economy. She further added that in order to ensure they reach the critical mass of learners necessary to accelerate that developmental agenda, African higher education institutions need to supplement the traditional approach of face-to-face learning by opening up knowledge generation in virtual spaces using information communication technologies. Dr Dlamini-Zuma said the focus must be on the people as they are Africa’s biggest resources. She said countries that do well produce engineers in large numbers. ‘I think the universities we have are not enough to achieve the revolution we need,’ she said.

General, said they have supported the implementation of CAADP since the early days and will continue to support Africa in its efforts. ‘CAADP has provided a new momentum for the transformation of the agricultural sector in Africa. It is also one of the reasons why many African countries have already reached the First Millennium Development Goal hunger target of reducing by half the proportion of undernourished people between 1990 and 2015,’ he said. The countries whose success in meeting the MDG hunger target was recognised at the FAO Conference in June 2013, include Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Djibouti, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo.

‘So far, 36 AU Member States have signed CAADP Compacts while 30 have developed National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs). Countries now have frameworks to guide their investments in agriculture,’ Tumusiime said postgraduate students of which 1 071 are Masters of Science and 212 are PhDs. Forty percent of the grants are awarded to women. Aptly marking the Year of Agriculture under the theme ‘African Higher Education Week: Celebrating the Contribution of African Universities and Partners to agricultural development in Africa’, the underlying message was higher education in agriculture must provide training that allows Africa to feed itself, accommodate women, advise policy makers, make use of innovative technologies, multiply fully trained researchers and turn research results into practice.

AUC partners with RUFORUM

Dlamini-Zuma on education

Early in the year, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) acknowledged the importance of marking the agriculture year in Africa. José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-

Officially opening the meeting, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, African Union Commission chairperson, said Africa must invest much more in education, science,

The conference resulted in AUC and the RUFORUM signing a Memorandum of Understanding on 30 July to expand collaboration in agriculture between the two organisations. The two organisations will work together in the areas of human capacity development for agricultural training and research, academic exchange programmes to support higher education in agriculture and engaging African governments and regional bodies in policy issues impacting on higher education and agriculture.

International community

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

‘But despite individual success stories, as a whole, Africa needs to step up its efforts; more than one out of every 5 of its citizens is still denied the right to food,’ said Graziano da Silva. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) has also welcomed the AU’s renewed commitment to the transformation of Africa’s agricultural sector, according to a statement. ‘We share the AU’s vision for an Africa that is free of hunger, an Africa that boasts a strong agriculture sector, which provides food, labour and wealth for all groups of society. We are optimistic about Africa’s future, especially given the tremendous advances we are witnessing across the continent, in research laboratories, in the fields, in the marketplace and at policy level,’ said Jane Karuku, Agra president.

OAU

The African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

A good story to tell - small-scale farmers in Plant biotechnology is playing a significant role in helping small-scale farmers improve their incomes and quality of life while employing sustainable agricultural practices. In 2013, of the 18 million farmers worldwide growing 175 million hectares of biotech crops, 90 percent were small holder farmers in 19 developing countries, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA). Biotechnology, while not the complete answer to food insecurity at the household level in South Africa, can help to ensure that no South African goes to bed on an empty stomach. Smallholder farmers - who make an important contribution to food production in South Africa – increasingly need better farming methods to increase their yields. In return the farmers can ensure higher incomes to better cater for the needs of their families. Some have found the answer in growing GM maize. Our farmers consider the main benefits of GM maize to be peace of mind, consistent increased yields, better grain quality and excellent weed control. For example: Mrs Bubbi Aphane, Cullinan, Gauteng farms with her son, Solofelang (Solo), an agricultural student at the Tshwane University of Technology. She planted 2 hectare (ha) and commented that “I am very impressed with my maize. It looks very good and I expect a yield of more than 4t/ha. I think this is the way for smallholder farmers to go. No problems from stalk borer or weed infestations. The fact that a herbicide can be sprayed over the crop without killing the crop but destroying the weeds means a big saving on labour cost. We are planning to plant 10 hectares next year.” Dr. Mamabolo Raphesu is a former lecturer at the Limpopo University who gave up his academic career for full time farming. He plants 120 ha of GM maize on dry land. He started farming with GM maize five years ago. “It keeps my maize free from stalk borer infestation and weeds are easily managed with the Roundup Ready technology. GM maize is a jump starter for smallholder farmers who want to achieve food security and a better living,” says Raphesu. His average yield over the years has been 3-4t/ha For the 2013/14 season Dr Raphesu planted dry-land white maize in November 2013 and harvested in June 2014. His yield was 4-5t/ha. Dr Raphesu has great ambitions to expand his plantings to 200ha. “The problem is that at the moment I don’t have the equipment for expansion. A major problem is that I do not have title deeds on the land and no financial institution is willing to advance me any capital for expansion. This is a serious problem facing all smallholder farmers and until this is rectified we are not going to develop,” he emphasized. In addition to his crops he also has a mixture of 70 head of Simmentaler and Bonsmara cattle, selling weaners at auctions and out of hand. He is a past president of AFASA (African Farmers’

Association of South Africa) for the Gauteng Province. Ms Tepsy Ntseoane, a former teacher and business consultant to various institutions, is the president of AFASA (African Farmers’ Association of South Africa) for the Gauteng province. She farms on 539 ha with cattle, maize, vegetables and a small piggery. She obtained the land from the government through the Land Reform Strategy. She plants 40 ha of Bt maize dry land. Her yield the past season, suffering severe drought spells, was 5.37t/ha. In 2011 AfricaBio introduced her to Bt maize. “I planted 2ha ha dry land. My yield was 7 t/ha compared to 2-3 t/ha with conventional maize, which I first planted, due to stalk borer damage. Last year my yield was also 7 t/ha. The past 2013/14 season, I planted 40 ha of Bt maize. I am so impressed with having no stalk borer damage and no weed problems that I plan to increase my plantings to 100ha. GM maize, from my own experience, is certainly the answer to food security, hunger and poverty alleviation for smallholder farmers,” says Ms Ntseoane. Mr Frans Malela from Matlerekeng, near Groblersdal, Limpopo has been planting Bt maize since 2002. “Previously I planted conventional maize. The stalk borer destroyed so much of my crop that my yield was only 1 t/ ha. With the Bt maize my yield has increased to 3 t/ha. This is the survival for smallholder farmers,” says Malela. “For weed control I applied Roundup PowerMAX® only once at 8-leaf stage and suffered no further weed problems. I have not suffered any harm from using Roundup Ready herbicide,” he emphasised. To help the local community and contribute to job creation, Frans hires ten labourers to harvest his maize by hand. He is also a highly successful GM cotton farmer. The past season he planted 12 ha of Bt cotton which reduced labour expenses, reduced the number of sprays – only two against sucking insects – and his yield has almost doubled. Mr. Motlatsi Musi was introduced to Bt maize by AfricaBio in 2004. “My yield on dry land increased by 34%, from 5 t/ha with conventional maize to 6.36 t/ha for Bt maize. From the increased income I gradually extended my planting from 7 ha to the current 20 ha. My average yield over the past nine years, without any stalk borer infestation and during some critical drought periods and floods, has been 5.5 t/ha–7 t/ha. “During the 2012/13 season I planted GM white maize and my yield was 5.5 t/ha,” says Musi. “Since I have adopted Bt maize I have enjoyed a better quality of life. I believe that GM crops are the best solution for South African agriculture. What has been good for me can be good for millions of smallholder farmers in other countries. From surplus maize which I harvested, I donated six bags of mealie meal to an old age home and an orphanage in Soweto” says Musi. In 2008 he was invited by the Brazilian Council for Biotechnology Information (CIB) to address the Rural Coopaval Show held in Parana State

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Mrs Bubbi Aphane, proudly showing her first GM maize crop; Dr Raphesu in his GM maize field;Ms Tepsy Ntseoane in her stand of GM maize; Mr Frans Malela in his stand of GM maize; Mr Motlatsi Musi OPPOSITE LEFT TO RIGHT: Mr Vincent Rapeta with his increased maize yield; Mrs Florah Shilaloke in her maize field; Mrs Sophie Mabena in her maize field; Mrs Thembeni Modise and her GM maize; Mr & Mrs Buda

South Africa benefit from growing GM crops on the benefits of GM crops he has experienced. He has also addressed several European institutions on the benefits of GM crops, including the European parliament in Brussels. Mr Vincent Rapeta from Dendron, Limpopo, has been planting conventional maize for the past 11 years. For the 2013/14 season, AfricaBio advised him to adopt GM maize. He planted half a hectare of Insect Resistant/Herbicide Tolerant white maize. His yield was 2.61 tons (=5.22 t/ ha). He also planted conventional maize as the refuge and due to the high infestation of stalk borer, the refuge yielded only 1 ton, which was also his average yield previously with conventional maize. “With the good crop and excellent yield I achieved the past season, I plan to plant 15 to 20 ha the next season,” said Rapeta. Ms. Florah Shilaloke, Bronkhorstspruit-“GM maize is a life-saver because you don’t need a lot of money or use a lot of workers. You use a herbicide to control the weeds and the stalkborer is already controlled by the Bt. When I deliver my maize to the mill I get a better price because of its quality. Each and everyone who sees my maize field asks me where they can buy the seed. I am proud to be a Bt maize grower.” Ms. Sophie Mabena, Bronkhorstspruit— “As a maize farmer, I need to control insect pests and weeds as they are key factors for getting better maize yields and more money from the miller down the road. I grow the GM stacked maize which is insect resistant and herbicide tolerant. This means the maize plant is not damaged by the maize stalk borer and can withstand the chemicals I use to control weeds.” Ms. Thembeni Modise, Nigel—“I have a demonstration site on my farm where AfricaBio has planted Bt and non-Bt white maize to show maize farmers like myself the benefits of Bt maize. From this site I have seen how the technology works. Bt maize is protected against stalk borer, requires less labour and gives better yields than the non-Bt maize. In overall, I would urge my fellow maize farmers to go for Bt maize for a stalk borer protected crop and better yield.” Mrs. Sarah Buda of Varkfontein started by growing 2 ha of GM maize. She says,”For me Bt maize has been an advantage over conventional maize because there has been no stalk borer in my field and there has been no need to use pesticides. People worry about the impact on their health but we have cooked and eaten GM maize and nothing happened. Many people have also eaten the flour from GM maize.” Sarah says that she plans to have the entire farm under Bt maize and she is also interested in growing GM soybean. “I am encouraging other farmers to adopt this technology as we have realized good profits in growing it because farming is a business. We need money. What do you do with a crop that does not give you good returns?”

According to Dr Nompumelelo Obokoh, CEO of AfricaBio “2013 was the 18th year of successful commercialisation of GM crops. Globally, a record 18 million farmers grew GM crops and over 90% or more than 16.5 million were small resource-poor farmers in developing countries. In South Africa, about 2.9 million ha of GM maize, soybean and cotton were grown in 2013, and the country is the 8th largest adopter of GM crops. The economic gains from Dr. Nompumelelo Obokoh GM crops for South Africa for the period 1998-20132 was estimated at US$1.15 billion and US$ 218.5 million for 2012. All officially approved GM crops do not represent any greater health threat to consumers than their conventional counterparts. In South Africa, genetically modified (GM) crops are the most extensively tested food crops available today. They are more stringently tested than any other food in history, and are tightly regulated both before they reach the marketplace and once they are on sale. The GMO Act (1997) of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ensures that they are at least as safe, if not safer, than conventional foods. Biotech crops have been grown and consumed for more than 18 years and people around the world have consumed billions of meals containing biotech derived foods or ingredients. There are no substantiated scientific reports of any food safety issues, says Dr Nompumelelo Obokoh, CEO of AfricaBio AfricaBio, is a biotechnology stakeholder association established in 1999, and works with stakeholders along the value chain to ensure, safe and responsible adoption of biotechnology in South Africa and the region.

Contact details: Suite U9, First Floor, Enterprise Building, Mark Shuttle worth Street, The Innovation Hub, Pretoria, 0087 Email: info@africabio.com • Switch board: +27 12 844 0126 • Fax: +27 86 619 9399 • www.africabio.com

OAU

Changeover

From the Organisation of African Unity to the African Union For every country that remained a colony on the African continent it became the duty of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to ensure that it was assisted to achieve its freedom and independence. Aspirations of the common people and the vision of African leaders became an excellent basis for working towards the greater unity of the continent. By Munyaradzi Makoni

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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o, marking the 50th Anniversary of the OAU and the 10th Anniversary of the African Union is most apt at this time. In fact it is a befitting tribute to the efforts of the continent authenticating its identity. The entire African continent had been colonised by Britain, France, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain in what is called the ‘Scramble for Africa’ by the 19th century. When the First World War ended, Germany and Italy had been defeated, they lost their colonies to the victorious powers. Colonial governments ruled African societies with impunity. They imposed their own laws which were brutal and denied Africans their basic human rights. The colonial economy mainly served to

ABOVE: Opening session of the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, 30 January 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

exploit local people and benefit the colonial powers. Thanks to the influence of the spread of socialism and the Cold War conflicts the speedy political de-colonialisation of Africa happened. The end of the Second World War resulted in demands for independence from colonial rule engulfing Africa.

The early days The story is romantic, almost ebullient, yet true. A man from Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the president of that country, fired up by ideals on Pan Africanism, thought of continent less vulnerable to outside influence. In the late 1950s, Dr Nkrumah started a movement, which stressed the immediate unity of the African continent. He called for an audience with his peers. Mission accomplished? Not yet. There were others who steered for unity behind closed doors, notably,

Ketema Yifru, an Ethiopian Foreign Minister from 1961 to 1971. History credits the man for negotiating with many African countries paving a way to creation the OAU. Among them were Ghana, Guinea, and Mali and later on Egypt, the Transitional Government of Algeria, and Morocco. The countries joined the Ghana-Guinea-Mali Union to form the Casablanca Group which emerged in 1961, comprising seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Libya, Mali, and Morocco. Other countries like Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Togo, took time studying the question of African unity. When the first regional meeting of the 32 African countries, which were independent at that time was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in May 1963 it was generally agreed that there was strength in the unity of purpose. Among this group, that became known

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as the Founding Fathers of the OAU, where the likes of Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Modibo Keita of Mali, Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt, Sekou TourĂŠ of Guinea, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Ben Bella of Algeria, Emperor Haile Selasse of Ethiopia, William Tubman of Liberia, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya. Dr Nkrumah led a group that

supported total economic and political unity for the continent while another group was conservative seeking a gradual approach in dealing with the challenges. They all later agreed to fight apartheid and colonialism. The African leaders were fired up. Theirs became a classic African story of modern day activism, a discovery of medication for oppression, from peacefully negotiating

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

with colonial powers to where to get military training and bomb out recalcitrant colonial leaders. Thanks to sharing ideas by people like Williams Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Edward W. Blyden and Georges Padmore amongst others, a clarity of purpose was discovered.Â The sharing of experiences even extended to people like President Sukarno of Indonesia, Prime Minister Jawaharlal

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Nehru of India and President Marshal Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, amongst others. It’s no surprise that after setting up of OUA in 1963 African leaders eventually established a military wing, the OAU Liberation Committee that had its headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

OAU at work Liberation of Africa, in fact, became one of

the most powerful rallying points on the continent. There was unified front against foreign oppression. The combined military, political and diplomatic efforts jointly brought the spotlight about liberation in the remaining territories under colonial rule on the continent. Armed conflict between the guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front and Portugal took place in Mozambique. The Angolans fought against South African Boers. War escalated in Zimbabwe against the British. Fighting raged against apartheid South Africa in Namibia a former Germany territory who eventually got their independence in 1990. There was more scrutiny and condemnation of apartheid in South Africa. Notably it was the OAU that saw the imposition of sanctions against both Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and apartheid South Africa by the United Nations. South Africa became the 53rd and last nation to joining the OAU after overcoming Apartheid and electing a new democratic government in 1994 Apart from fighting for liberation OAU coordinated cooperation for development, preserved the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and promoted international cooperation in the framework of the United Nations. Since its creation, the OAU has given the peaceful settlement of inter-African conflicts a key place in its work. A mediation, conciliation and arbitration commission was set up for this purpose. However, its work has been stymied by limited financial resources. The organisation often resorts to using Councils of Wise People or ad hoc committees to try to find solutions to disputes. At the 1981 summit in Nairobi, an African Charter on Human and People’s Rights was adopted and led to the creation, in 1986, of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. The collapse of the communist bloc, the end of the Cold War and East-West confrontation, Africa had to rethink its policy against the backdrop

of a proliferation of internal conflicts. The creation of a mechanism to prevent, manage and resolve African conflicts was mooted and approved at the Cairo summit in June 1993. Its main body is made up of the heads of state of the member countries of the conference’s bureau in office.

The last summit The OAU has managed to create semblance of a united working Africa in spite of limited capacity for action and low levels of financial resources due to intense diplomatic work done by its officers. Member states have been given a platform to adopt coordinated positions on common issues in international bodies and to defend the continent’s interests a situation that paved the way for the birth of the African Union. During an extraordinary summit in Sirte, Libya, the OAU decided to set up a new organisation to replace it. Ten years have since passed when 24 presidents and one king presided over the birth of the African Union on 9-11 July, 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia. Rather than weep over what appeared to be the demises of OAU, the leaders celebrated a base that had given them foundation to claim their identity in the world. The OAU and the AU co-existed for a two year transition period. The AU, officially launched at the Durban summit in 2002, was to be the spearhead tasked with accelerating and deepening the process of economic and political integration on the continent. Its founding act envisages bodies and institutions inspired in particular by the model of the European Union. “This historic effort will require leadership, courage and willingness to depart from the ways of the past, if it is to do for Africa what the European Union has done for Europe,” Kofi Annan, himself an African from Ghana who was the secretary-general of the United Nations said at the creation of AU in Lusaka. There was skepticism when the AU inspired by the European Union and styled on other global continental bodies in Asia and America was launched. Critics warned

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that too much faith was being placed in a document which made more sense in theory than in practice. African leaders were lambasted for rushing to create what should be a more effective political and economic union without enough thought. The observers concluded that the timetable for trying to achieve these goals is unrealistic and could backfire. The founding congress of the AU meets in Durban (South Africa). The headquarters of the organization remain in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The African Union’s vision is to “build an Africa that is integrated, prosperous and at peace, led by its citizens and constituting a dynamic force on the world stage”. The design is to move quicker along the path of unity. It is also about a change of perspective through the definition of common policies in priority areas: defence, peace and continental security, integration of African economies, the free movement of people, goods and capital, food security, the fight against poverty, development, trade, the environment, the fight against pandemics etc. The peaceful resolution of conflicts is in particular at the heart of its concerns. In 2004, a Peace and Security Council was created. This new and key institution can, further to authorisation from the conference of heads of state, order military intervention in serious circumstances (war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity). In 2006 the AU opened the “Pan-African Parliament” in Midrand, South Africa. It now has 265 elected representatives from the member states. The parliament is to implement the politics and the goals of the AU and promote democracy and economic development. The parliament is only an advisory organ with no power to make laws. The AU’s new headquarters was opened in Addis Ababa in 2009. South Africa’s home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma becomes the first woman in the organisation’s history to be elected head of the AU Commission, the highest rank within the alliance, in 2012.

The road ahead Africa’s struggle against colonialism, oppression and apartheid experienced solidarity and international support from all freedomloving people of the world said Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the current AU commission chairperson on the occasion of addressing the Third Pan African Parliament on 6 May 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dlamini-Zuma said the OAU exhibited the spirit of internationalism as it championed the African cause and supported the struggles of oppressed people in other parts of the world. She said AU was pleased to celebrate with all its friends from across the globe, and continue to reinforce its solidarity and cooperation. Dlamini-Zuma said the 50th anniversary was a beacon of the spirit of internationalism, solidarity and cooperation as Africa strives to overcome the myriad socio-economic and political problems it confronts. “As we start the journey of the next fifty

accomplishments and there missed opportunities of the organization which it will strive to achieve. The AU Constitutive Act of 2000 established 17 key institutions, some of which have overlapping mandates, while others continue to represent aspirations for future integration rather than serving present needs. For example, the planned setting up of the African Court of Justice never is yet to take off. Only five countries — far short of the 15 required — have signed the protocol for the African Court of Justice and Human Rights supposed to take its place. Some instruments, such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, are actively opposed by a vocal minority of countries. Other protocols — such as those on women’s rights and combating corruption — languish unsigned by many states. Some analysts say the extent of South Africa’s engagement in region-building in Africa bears testimony to a foreign policy shaped by a commitment to multilateralism over

The 50th anniversary was a beacon of the spirit of internationalism, solidarity and cooperation as Africa strives to overcome the myriad socio-economic and political problems it confronts

years, we are clear about the task before us: to educate our populace, and ensure healthy bodies and minds; to modernize and expand Africa’s infrastructure and connect our peoples and countries; to grow our agriculture and agro- businesses so that we can feed ourselves and the world; to use our natural resources to industrialise and grow our shared prosperity; to invest in science, technology, research and innovation as enablers of rapid progress,” she said. Unfinished business As much as AU shares it views on

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

the past two decades. In particular, South Africa has recognised the importance of creating common markets to facilitate the continent’s economic development. To put it strongly in the words on Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, a staunch Pan-Africanist who passed away in 2013, the issues, problems and developments that confront Africa have to be dealt with in a holistic approach. “Africa is a house with 54 rooms in it. When one room catches fire, other rooms are endangered.”

Barclays setting the tone for African SMEs growth agenda Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply pan-African conference held in Lusaka Zambia, Barclays Africa Business Banking shared their thoughts on the conference and the SME sector across the Continent as a whole. Tezza Bryant, Regional Head Coverage Barclays Africa states, “It was a brilliant opportunity for us as Barclays to participate in this conference, as it gave us the opportunity to interact with a whole range of Corporates and SME’s and hear first-hand their challenges, allowing us to understand their businesses better.” The conference gave a platform to various businesses and professionals who shared what they believed works best as an industry, the potential of the supply chain industry and the challenges that are widely faced. The conference also sought ways and initiatives that could benefit local procurement for smaller businesses on the Continent. An emerging theme, particularly during the Q&A sessions, was the importance of access to working capital to support cash flow for smaller business. Most SMEs on the Continent need access to funding to support their day to day operations but because they often have thin capital bases and owners investments are ploughed into working capital they sometimes fail to meet the requirements that financial institutions impose to provide loan funding. “At Barclays Africa, we strongly believe that while working capital funding is a major challenge, SMEs do face a number of other challenges as well. Skills development and access to markets are two other significant challenges the SMEs face in a very challenging environment. Businesses need a wider skill sets and the ability to link into more sustainable, often Corporate led, markets to them flourish.

The build out of those skills and linkages into Corporate supply and buyer chains does help to build more sustainable businesses, support local content agendas and go some way to helping banks and their Customers mitigate funding challenges and risks.” says Bryant. Barclays Africa operates in 12 countries on the Continent and is a fully global, regional and local bank long and proud history of serving customers across the African continent. “We are in the unique and enviable position to best serve existing and prospective customers and clients by combining our global product knowledge, regional expertise and extensive, well-established local footprint,” added Bryant. Significant growth in many Economies across Africa is attracting international corporate attention especially when other international markets are still struggling to show healthy growth rates. However, many of these Corporates are still adopting a cautious approach to doing business in Africa and see the continent as ether a place to obtain raw materials or to simply sell their products. The sourcing of local materials or beneficiated inputs from smaller suppliers is still not at levels that would be found in more developed environments. Local sourcing is growing but the perceived risk of doing business with SME’s makes larger corporates wary of adopting this approach. Despite this perceived risk involved in doing business with African SMEs, Barclays Africa has a positive perception of how it can stimulate these entities to grow and contribute to the development of the continent. The group has seen and projected good growth in a number of economies in Africa in sectors such as agriculture, mining, transport, oil and gas, of which Barclays intends to take advantage of its strong expert base in South Africa to leverage its support to the rest of Africa.

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Tezza Bryant, Regional Head Coverage Barclays Africa and Regina Mulenga, Barclays Zambia Business Banking Head, Regina Mulenga speaking at the 2014 CIPS conference in Lusaka, Zambia.

In addition it does work with an number of Corporate customers across the Continent to stimulate Corporate to SME business through supply chain initiatives. The role that SME entities play in job creation and poverty reduction in Africa is critical but it is also key that SMEs are managed and operated professionally to attract institutions willing to participate in SMEs growth and sustainability. The CIPS conference adds to the SME industry by giving them a platform through a professional body to speak with one voice get the issues that they face on the table and to link up with corporate procurement world. The Bank wants to help ensure that the SMEs sector in Africa flourishes. Being small entities, SMEs sometimes struggle to get the attention multinational corporations and conversely Multi nationals often struggle to link up with SME on who they can depend. Barclays aims to build on its knowledge base of these two component parts and to help link willing buyer and seller together. The lack of a specific focus on the key SMEs market segment has made it difficult to meet the needs of these important customers. It is within this context that about nine months ago, Barclays Africa decided to separate the institution’s Business Banking from its Corporate Banking function. “We created business banking as a separate entity, away from Retail and Corporate banking so that we could develop focus and capabilities that are required by smaller business across the Continent. Our aim is to be the ‘Go-to’ Business Bank across the African continent in all the countries where we have a presence,” states Bryant. “It is central to our approach that we understand our clients’ needs, so we spent a lot of time, money and manpower in reviewing and refining our Customer Value Propositions (CVP). Based on that information we are working to build business banking with the aim of satisfying those ever changing needs for our clients from transaction, investment and debt perspective. It’s not about simply dishing out loans but more about a holistic approach to solutioning our customers” added Bryant. Barclays continues to review the market, look at large corporate clients within Africa, know who their suppliers and buyers are, then look for ways to support these companies and customers to make them more competitive and sustainable through combinations of transactional banking, investments, linking buyers and sellers and working capital or trade solutions. Barclays Africa, through its operations in South Africa it has a number of Centres of Excellence, for example its strong agriculture proposition, and intend to leverage those capabilities across the Continent. Much of this work is fully aligned with Regional and Government initiatives to support local business and stimulate Economies.

Countries in Africa do however need to continually review the ease to trade and copy best practice of how to stimulate growth in the SMEs sector. Mr Bryant noted that in countries like Rwanda and Mauritius, where it is easy for SMEs to establish and do business, governments are playing their role in stimulating sustainable small business development. Many African governments that have provided great incentives around skills, human development, streamlined company registration and have sometime tackled value added tax and other tax benefits for start-up enterprises. These are all great steps down the road to small business development and lifting economic prosperity for all. The Barclays group notes that it has been proven that there is a real multiplier effect on resources pumped into SMEs’ incentives and that for every dollar of input there is a higher rate of Economic and Social return.

“Our ultimate ambition as Barclays Africa is to help each one of our customers by putting world class banking solutions within their reach of every business in our targeted markets. The Barclays picture does not only end at SMEs development on the Continent but goes further to encompass the workforce benefits which support a wider community and family networks in many parts of Africa. In a number of African countries like Zambia, a wide range of reforms have been enacted to support SMEs growth but implementing and executing is and continues to be a challenge. Speaking at the CIPs conference, Regina Mulenga, Barclays Zambia Business Banking Head stated, “Reforms, policies and other initiatives meant to encourage and improve doing business, have been enacted and implemented in many African countries. But it’s up to various interest groups on the continent to grab these opportunities.” “Our ultimate ambition as Barclays Africa is to help each one of our customers by putting world class banking solutions within their reach of every business in our targeted markets. Our belief is that this will ultimately allow us to achieve our vision of empowering them to prosper as we continue to travel this journey together with them,” concludes Bryant.

Barclays Africa | Barclays Towers West | 15 Troye Street, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa + 27 (0) 350 4000 | www.barclaysafrica.com

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Continental Free Trade Area beckons

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Trade boosts in Africa 50

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launch of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) negotiations in 2015. CFTA is a pan-African trade pact set to increase intra-regional trade within the continent by 2017. According to statistics cited by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Intra-African trade currently stands at 12% of total trade, compared to 60% for Europe, 40% for North America, and 30% for ASEAN. Acyl stated that despite recent economic growth, Africa remains the epicentre of global poverty and if the vision set in Agenda 2063 of ‘an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena’ is to be acknowledged, efforts to achieve

rapid, inclusive, poverty-reducing and sustainable economic growth must be intensified. She said the major challenge confronting African trade ministers was to ensure that Africa is well integrated into the global trading system and that trade plays its role as engine of growth and development. ‘There are two interrelated pillars of Africa’s trade agenda which require the attention and enhanced focus of our ministers,’ she said. These include ‘(i) the boosting of intra-African trade and the deepening of our market integration and (ii) improving the performance of Africa in global trade and enhancing its meaningful integration

rs Fatima Haram Acyl, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry at the 9th Ordinary Session of the AU Conference of Ministers in December said while the continent ‘should be proud of its recent economic growth performance, there should be no room for complacency.’ ‘Our continent’s current growth has lacked depth, being driven largely by commodity production and trade. As a result, it has been non inclusive, nonpoverty- reducing, and non-employment -generating and hence is not sustainable in the long-run,’ she told African Union Ministers of Trade in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at a meeting to prepare to prepare the

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into the multilateral trading system.’ Acyl further stated, ‘In spite of the high priority attached to regional integration in our development strategy, progress in this area has been limited.’ In the Abuja Treaty, in 2002, there was a call for the establishment of the African Economic Community which has been missed. For almost three years now, the heads of state have since adopted the CFTA. ‘The time for rhetoric should now be over and that of concrete action should begin in earnest,’ she said. Acyl continued, ‘one of the major regions of the world, Africa has the lowest level of intra-regional trade, which currently stands at about 10-12

per cent.’ Though the Economist Intelligence Unit has forecast average growth for the regional economy of around 5% a year from 2013-16, the continent still plays a marginal role in the global market, accounting for barely 3% of world trade. Abdalla Hamdok, Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said ECA research shows that the CFTA is a key strategic objective not only to support Africa’s transformation, but also to put our economies in the best position to profit from developments on the bilateral and multilateral front. ‘By effectively integrating the continent, and reaching greater economies of scale, we are better

document produced during the AU trade ministers’ meeting in December 2011 detailing priority action clusters to address obstacles to increasing intra-African trade. Acyl said the implementation of the BIAT Action Plan was a critical component of the overall trade and development agenda. ‘It is in this regard that we continue to work on the operationalisation of the action plan at the national, regional and continental level,’ she said. She also remarked that AUC was currently developing a programme of capacity building in trade in services for Africa. Trade in services is not only one of the most dynamic sectors of global trade; it

Acyl further stated, ‘In spite of the high priority attached to regional integration in our development strategy, progress in this area has been limited.’

placed to implement the EPAs, to face the implications of mega-regional agreements, and – in a nutshell – to improve the terms of Africa’s integration into the global economy,’ Hamdok said. He also mentioned that 2015 promises to be a crucial year for Africa’s integration, with the envisaged opening of the negotiations towards the ambitious goal of the CFTA.

Action Plan for Boosting Intra-Africa Trade The Action Plan for Boosting Intra-Africa Trade (BIAT) was endorsed during its 18th Ordinary Session that was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2012. Member states, regional economic communities (RECs), and development partners were called on to adopt the necessary measures towards the effective implementation of an Action Plan, a

is also critical for the modernisation and transformation of Africa’s economy. ‘Africa cannot boost intra-African trade and participate meaningfully in global trade without addressing the challenges of trade facilitation. Trade facilitation can be said to be low “hanging fruit” among the BIAT Action Plan clusters. Studies have shown that if these challenges are properly addressed, the current 10-12 per cent level of intra-African trade can increase two-fold within a decade,’ Acyl said. She also said that the AUC was committed to the development and implementation of trade facilitation programmes activities by Member States and the RECs as way of ensuring the feasibility CFTA. Trade facilitation programmes include simplified customs regulations and procedures, integrity in customs

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operations, and interconnectivity of customs information systems, all of which are aimed at the facilitation of trade, reduction of cost of doing business. In the past, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) - an eight-country regional development organisation in East Africa, has argued that instead of coming up with the CFTA, African countries should concentrate their efforts and investments on infrastructure development. Countries could also push for the removal of non-tariff barriers and trade facilitation while also addressing the challenges of food security, the IGAD added.

Africa’s potential The WTO Director-General, Roberto Azevêdo, has put in place a fund to accompany the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement that includes benefits for Africa. On 1 July 2014, Azevêdo told the African Union Forum on Industrialisation and Inclusive Development in Africa that the Trade Facilitation Agreement ‘will begin to remove some of the barriers which prevent full integration into global value chains. As such, it will create an added impetus for industrialization and inclusive sustainable development.’ Azevêdo said the African Union’s 2063 Agenda calls for the region’s economies to integrate and to join the global economy through the development of human capital, the acceleration of infrastructure development and the fostering of meaningful partnerships with the private sector. He also suggested a number of essential steps to take in order to achieve this. These steps include the diversification of economic structure, namely of production and exports, the enhancement of export competitiveness; technological upgrading; the improvement of the productivity of all resources, including labour; and the reduction of infrastructure gaps. He said the WTO could help African countries to industrialise their economies,

with the ultimate purpose of supporting inclusive development but some preconditions of success are universal. For example, political stability; a business friendly environment, for both domestic and foreign investors; bureaucratic capacity in decision making and in designing, implementing and revising policies; and the coherence of these policies with other trade and development policies. Speaking at the trade ministerial meeting in Addis Ababa in December, Azevêdo estimated that the Agreement will reduce trade costs by up to 15% in

and faster poverty reduction. ‘Historical experience shows that economic transformation is the main avenue to bring us out of primary commodity dependence, and hence enhance our resilience to exogenous shocks, such as those looming in key regions of the global economy,’ said Hamdok. He also mentioned that economic transformation needs to be the polar star not just of Africa’s development and industrialisation strategies, but also of strategic trade policies, built on a view of integration into the global market not as an end in itself, but as a springboard for

‘Historical experience shows that economic transformation is the main avenue to bring us out of primary commodity dependence, and hence enhance our resilience to exogenous shocks, such as those looming in key regions of the global economy,’ said Hamdok.

developing countries and it was particularly important for Africa where the cost of customs procedures tends to be higher — around 30% higher than the global average according to UNECA. ‘The fact that intra-African trade remains just a tenth of Africa’s total trade shows that improving regional integration is critical. But it also shows that engaging at the global, multilateral level remains vital. For those countries with lessdeveloped customs infrastructure, the Agreement will mean a boost in the technical assistance that is available to them,’ he added. Hamdok, said only structural transformation will be able to translate economic growth – which indeed took place at a fast pace over the last decade – into greater employment generation,

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

inclusive and sustainable development. ‘Economic research, as well as the wisdom of Panafrican thinkers, has long shown that intra-African trade can be the springboard for industrialization. IntraAfrican trade is already significantly more diversified than Africa’s trade with the rest of the world. Producers tend to have a better knowledge of neighbouring African markets, standards tend to be less demanding, and consumers’ tastes are more likely to be similar. Yet, our markets are still too fragmented, and African countries do not trade with one another as much as they should,’ added Hamdok. ‘African countries must continue to speak with a strong and coherent common voice in the defense of our interests in engagement with the rest of the world,’ Acyl urged.

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The global challenges of health for women in africa On the African continent, one of the biggest health challenges facing women is the need to improve maternal health. Dr Christine Mwelwa Kaseba-Sata explores the spill-over effects of non-activity towards efforts on achieving targets of reducing maternal mortality for example.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

t is a harsh reality that, in the 21st century, although a woman’s life expectancy at birth in more than 35 countries around the world is in upwards of 80 years, in the African region it is only 54 years according to recent World Health Organisation statistics. In addition, 99 percent of all maternal deaths that happen each year, almost half a million in total occur in developing countries, many on the African continent, in fact 66 percent of maternal deaths happen in sub-Saharan Africa. There are many reasons for this challenging statistic, not least of which is the prevalence of poverty, combined with such factors as economic dependence amongst women in certain African societies, lack of power and decisionmaking in the home and in communities, and control over sexual and reproductive lives. Many women in Africa continue to face and experience many different forms

of discrimination and marginalization in their day-to-day lives, simply because of their gender. Each of these individual factors have the potential to negatively impact on women’s physical, emotional and intellectual health and wellbeing, not to mention their ability to be able to build economic independence. In March 2013, the United Nations marked International Women’s Day, an event designated to not just honour the important role played by women in society, but also to highlight areas of grave concern that require the world to sit up, take notice and importantly take action. The focus of attention was on the Gender Agenda: “Gaining Momentum,” an issue of particular interest and concern to Africa where health challenges such as improving reproductive health, putting an end to gender-based violence and discrimination, addressing the issue of female genital mutilation, and reducing

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

the incidence of maternal deaths are all too prevalent. If the ambitious aspirations of the United Nations in meeting Millennium Development Goals are to be fully realised, then it is essential that more work is done to improve the health and wellbeing of women in Africa, as the two sets of challenges are inextricably linked. On the African continent, one of the biggest health challenges facing women is the need to improve maternal health. Despite being one of the Millennium Development Goals, it is still chronically short of achieving its targets of reducing the maternal mortality rate by 75 percent before 2015. It is a sad fact that in Africa, if radical health and education interventions are not put in place to address this issue, these ambitious goals will not be realised until at least 2165, such is the severity of the situation.

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Yet ironically, most maternal deaths are preventable, particularly if the overall health and wellbeing of women is improved. The number of deaths incurred as a result of complications suffered due to the lack of obstetric care services, unsafe abortions, bleeding, high blood pressure and obstructed labour, could be reduced and prevented. This is critical, particularly in the case of teenage mothers on the African continent who experience complications and

premature deaths as a result of young bodies having to go through the physical and emotional trauma of childbirth whilst still developing themselves. This prevalent issue that teenage pregnancy raises needs to be at the top of the education agenda in Africa amongst young girls if they are going to be empowered to take control of their bodies, their futures, and critically their health. The most recent report published by the United Nations on Trends in Maternal

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

Mortality (1990 to 2010) indicates that although sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed a decline in maternal mortality of 41 percent in the past 10 years, the figures are still unacceptable. One in 42 African women still die during childbirth, as opposed to 1 in 2900 in Europe. On the African continent, mothers should expect to be able to stay alive after the birth of their children and to see them grow up to have children of their own, instead of simply hoping that their personal and

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and societal issue in Africa. It requires vigorous debate and action if the lives of over two million young girls aged between 4 and 12 who are subjected to this brutal practice are to be changed for good. Recognising that many of the health and wellbeing challenges experienced by women in African society occur as a result of socio economic and socio cultural factors and pressures, it is essential to improve women’s empowerment overall. Solutions to positively addressing women’s health and wellbeing can be found by improving literacy levels and overall access to education, improving the economic status of women, and addressing cultural and long-standing traditional challenges in African society that impact negatively on women’s health.

“On the African continent, one of the biggest health challenges facing women is the need to improve maternal health. Despite being one of the Millennium Development Goals, it is still chronically short of achieving its targets of reducing the maternal mortality rate by 75 percent before 2015”

family ambitions will be realised in this regard. Initiatives such as the Campaign for the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), introduced in partnership with the African Union, are already providing much needed support on the ground at grass roots level in Africa to improve maternal health programmes. Yet, at a practical level, we must recognise that more needs to be done to provide improved access to basic health facilities

and health workers for women. On the general health front for women in African countries, things are also bleak. The latest World Health Organisation report “Addressing the Challenges of Women’s Health in Africa,” published to coincide with International Women’s Day in March, highlights that the rate of cervical cancer amongst African women is twice the global average. In addition, the challenge of female genital mutilation is still a major health

There is no doubt that women living in today’s Africa continue to face an ever increasing number of health and wellbeing challenges and this is tangibly reflected in the unacceptably high levels of female and particularly maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Society as a whole needs to rethink its approach to improving women’s health by getting to the heart of the problem and addressing the need to improve the social status of women on the continent,

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

“There is no doubt that women living in today’s Africa continue to face an ever increasing number of health and wellbeing challenges and this is tangibly reflected in the unacceptably high levels of female and particularly maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa”

united people of Africa, we take a stand in addressing the cultural and socio economic factors that are sustaining inequality in advancing women’s health. Policy makers need to come to the table and commit more resources to women and girls’ education, health and maternal wellbeing. Legislation needs to be developed and enforced across the African continent safeguarding the rights of women to control and safeguard their health and wellbeing in the home and in the community. Africa must take a stand to improve the efficiency of health care delivery and

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

access systems for all women and young girls and to take a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the medical, socio-cultural and economic factors that have the potential to adversely affect women’s health and limit their lifespans. It is high time that Africa starts implementing the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and it’s plan of Action. It is time for Africa to stop needless deaths of it’s women from preventable and potentially treatable causes. The time has come to take a stand. GHD

while empowering and supporting them to make the change needed. This empowerment needs to come from education and inclusive participation in all aspects of society and decision-making. This calls for political will, cultural debate, and undoubtedly large-scale investment in sustainable women’s health programmes that can be successfully rolled out across the African continent. The challenging women’s health and wellbeing situation to date has been caused by a failure on the part of key stakeholders and society as a whole to unite and work together to advance the socio-economic standing of women in Africa and, as a result, address the challenge of investing in women’s health and education. Continued failure to find the necessary solutions will increase the vulnerability of women in our society, while at the same time, limit the positive contribution they will be able to make to the socio economic wellbeing of the African continent as a whole. It is time that, as a

‫‪AFRICAN UNION‬‬

‫‪UNION AFRICAINE‬‬ ‫‪UNIÃO AFRICANA‬‬

‫‪Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251 11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558‬‬

‫‪Web site: www. au.int‬‬

‫إدارة االعالم واالتصال‬

‫إعالن لوسائل االعالم ‪ /‬القمة الرابعة والعشرين لالتحاد األفريقي‬ ‫نفيد ممثلي وسائل االعالم أن القمة الرابعة والعشرين لالتحاد األفريقي ستعقد من ‪ 32‬إلى ‪ 23‬يناير ‪٬ 3132‬‬ ‫بأديس أبابا ‪ ٬‬إثيوبيا‪.‬‬ ‫المكان‪:‬‬

‫مركز المؤتمرات الجديد لالتحاد األفريقي‬

‫الشعار‪:‬‬

‫سيكون شعار القمة "عام تمكين المرأة والتنمية نحو أجندة أفريقيا ‪"3602‬‬

‫وستعقد اجتماعات مختلف أجهزة صنع القرار باالتحاد االفريقي خالل القمة على النحو التالي‪:‬‬ ‫‪ 32-32‬يناير ‪:3602‬‬ ‫المكان‪:‬‬

‫الدورة العادية التاسعة والعشرين للجنة الممثلين الدائمين‬ ‫قاعة المؤتمرات الوسطى – مركز االتحاد االفريقي للمؤتمرات‬

‫‪ 32-30‬يناير ‪:3602‬‬ ‫المكان‪:‬‬

‫الدورة العادية السادسة والعشرين للمجلس التنفيذي‬ ‫قاعة نيلسون مانديال للمؤتمرات – مركز االتحاد األفريقي للمؤتمرات‬

‫‪ 20-26‬يناير ‪:3602‬‬ ‫المكان‪:‬‬

‫الدورة العادية الرابعة والعشرين لمؤتمر رؤساء الدول والحكومات باالتحاد األفريقي‬ ‫قاعة نيلسون مانديال – مركز االتحاد األفريقي للمؤتمرات‬

‫تم توفير مزيد من المعلومات حول اعتماد وسائل االعالم وتغطية القمة على الرابط التالي الخاص بالقمة‬ ‫الرابعة والعشرين لالتحاد األفريقي‪http://summits.au.int/en/24thsummit :‬‬ ‫للمزيد من المعلومات ‪ ٬‬يرجى االتصال على‪:‬‬ ‫استير آزا تانكو‬ ‫إدارة االعالم واالتصال‬ ‫مفوضية االتحاد األفريقي‬ ‫هاتف‪+251 911361185 :‬‬ ‫بريد الكتروني‪yamboue@africa-union.org :‬‬ ‫للمزيد على‪:‬‬ ‫‪http://www.au.int‬‬ ‫‪http://summits.au.int/en/24thsummit‬‬ ‫تابعونا على‪:‬‬ ‫فيس بوك‪https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission :‬‬ ‫تويتر‪https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion :‬‬ ‫يوتيوب‪https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission :‬‬ ‫‪Directorate of Information and Communication. African Union Commission‬‬ ‫‪E mail: dinfo@africa-union.org‬‬

‫‪63‬‬

‫‪Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013‬‬

OAU

Adressing health crisis on the continent:

AUC response to the

Ebola Virus

The outbreak of the Ebola virus has made news t he world over, raising various concerns and questions around African countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to contain the virus and avoid a spread of the epidemic to other regions across the world. Joint efforts have been initiated to ensure that education is provided, to promote safety around preventing its continued spread and while it is sad that lives have been lost, current efforts underway are there to ensure that more lives are saved. ÂŠ123RF

BY MOLLY CHIMHANDA

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Origins of Ebola The first human outbreaks of the Ebola virus occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Central Africa, and the other, in southern Sudan (now South Sudan). Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola viruses. Four of the strains can cause severe illness in humans and animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals, but not in humans. According to the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognised in 1976.

awareness and preventive measures across Africa and specifically in the affected region. This is one of the steps that reflect a show of solidarity among African countries to fight the Ebola virus. Prior to this, the AU response to Ebola started in April 2014 at the first African Ministers of Health Meeting jointly convened by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Luanda, Angola. This resulted in a Communiqué and an appeal to Member States with experience in handling Ebola disease to assist

mechanism to support urgent disbursement of pledged support to EVD outbreak response.’

Partnering to combat Ebola The African Union has also joined forces with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and leading businesses in Africa as efforts towards combating Ebola continue. This is also in response to the affected countries’ economies, which need a boost given their economies’ dependence on human capital for their functionality.

Global response to Ebola It has taken a global effort to provide assistance to the stricken countries, the most affected being Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where various health experts and volunteers have been deployed to these areas. The African Union sent a team of health workers and other specialists to tackle the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa under its operation AU Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). The first batch of 30 volunteers comprising epidemiologists, clinicians, public health specialists and communications personnel, came from five countries namely Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia. ASEOWA is expected to enhance the capacity of existing national and international response mechanisms through mobilisation of technical expertise, resources, political and financial support. The team’s purpose is to complement the efforts of on-going humanitarian assistance and coordinate support provided to the affected member states to augment field response operations. It will also support public

‘We need to make sure that the Ebola outbreak does not lead to socio-economic collapse. This crisis is already taking a toll on budgets and reducing the governments.’

resulting in a positive response and some AU member states sending experts to the affected countries. Monetary assistance of US$1 million was released from the Union’s Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa in August 2014. The staff members of the African Union also donated US$100 000 to the Ebola effort. The use of these funds is determined by the funding agreement with the Member States. According to the agreement, the funds are to be used by the Member States for medical supplies. Moreover, the AU Executive Council, during its emergency session on 8 September 2014, requested the Commission to ‘Put in place a monitoring

On 8 November 2014, West Africa got a sigh of relief as the African business community pledged US$28.5 million towards the fight against Ebola, which has damaged the social-economic progress of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Donald Kaberuka, the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), called this a key step in creating a sustainable mechanism to deal with the scourge. The African Business Roundtable held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, saw over 60 private business representatives participate, with leading companies in Africa pledging US$28.5 million, while others indicated that they would come up with a contribution figure, after consultations with their boards.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Projections made prior to the outbreak had placed Africa’s GDP growth to accelerate to 5.0% in 2014 and 5.1% in 2015, at the backdrop of continuing relatively high commodity prices, increasing domestic demand and improved economic governance and management among African countries. An expected firmer global recovery in 2014, bolstered by robust growth in industrial production in emerging and

Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, the Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the (UNDP) stated, ‘We need to make sure that the Ebola outbreak does not lead to socio-economic collapse. This crisis is already taking a toll on budgets and reducing the governments’ policy leeway to make much-needed investments in critical areas such as health and education for their citizens.’1 He added that the effects

ASEOWA is expected to enhance the capacity of existing national and international response mechanisms through mobilisation of technical expertise, resources, political and financial support. The team’s purpose is to complement the efforts of on-going humanitarian assistance and coordinate support provided to the affected member states to augment field response operations.

developing countries led by China, was also anticipated to stimulate growth in Africa through increased trade, investment and capital flows.

Impact of Ebola However, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projections tell a different tale. Beyond the death and suffering caused by the disease, the crisis could have lasting development consequences in the region, where many countries are still recovering from years of conflict and instability. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are projected to lose US$1.17 billion in GDP due to Ebola. The agricultural sector accounts for 57% of Sierra Leone’s GDP and 37% of Liberia’s. Disruptions during the growing season have resulted in the inflation of the price of key food crops. In Liberia, the price of a highly nutritious and standard food staple, cassava, has increased by 150%.

of the Ebola crisis would last long after the epidemic is brought under control.

Controlling Ebola International partners like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have come together to implement their respective operational plans in response to the urgent and immediate needs of West African countries affected by the EVD. These plans help to ensure that critically important activities are conducted in an efficient manner in the three affected countries. This collaboration has also been instrumental in stepping up preparedness activities in neighboring countries and in countries where Ebola crisis draining budgets in West Africa, study finds: November 5, 2014, http://www. undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/ pressreleases/2014/11/05/ebola-crisis-drainingdevelopment-budgets-in-west-africa-study-finds/

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

imported cases have been reported. Part of monitoring mechanisms in place includes the provision of country reports by the affected countries. These reports provide overviews of progress made in the affected countries as reported by their respective Ministries of Health. As of 2 November 2014, the WHO reported that there were 13 042 reported cases and 4 818 reported deaths. At the country level, the weekly incidence appears to be stable in Guinea. In Sierra Leone the weekly incidence continues to rise, while in Liberia it appears to be declining. In all three countries, EVD transmission remains persistent and widespread, particularly in the capital cities. All administrative districts in Liberia and Sierra Leone have reported at least one confirmed or probable case of EVD since the outbreak began. Cases and deaths continue to be under-reported in this outbreak. Other initiatives have included the use of new media to raise awareness about the virus and how best to prevent its continued spread. An example is Ebola Alert in Nigeria, which is an evidence driven group of professionals working on Ebola Virus Disease Interventions. It was created by doctors but also involves active participation of other professionals from different walks of life. The initiative uses Twitter to post daily Ebola-related news and to organise Ebola chat sessions between experts and the general public. Another campaign in Sierra Leone has seen the use of Facebook to fight Ebola-related stigma. Titled, ‘Beauty for the Country: I am 100% Sierra Leonean, Not a Virus’, this campaign is also among the steps that civilians from the affected countries have taken up. As the fight against Ebola continues, additional technical resources, international capacity; and deployment of technical experts and teams to address immediate priorities, and sustain support in the field is required. The health and safety of citizens continues to be a priority and the AU will continue in efforts to address the challenges that need to be addressed through assistance of member states and the international community.

Girls promote the '18+ Ending Child Marriages in Southern Africa' campaign

Child Marriage: A Global Problem

the age of 18 marry each year, some as young as age 8. In developing countries, 1 in every 3 girls marries before they are 18. Southern African countries have some of the highest rates of child marriage on the continent and around the world 1; 43,9 per cent of the girls in Mozambique and 51 per

The practice of child marriage violates girls’ human rights, curtails their schooling, harms their health, and sharply constrains their futures. Child marriage is a gross human rights violation which puts girls at risk of violence and ill-health, denies them the opportunity to fully contribute to their societies and keeps them locked in a state “Many of my friends and girls I know from home of poverty. This is not only the personal tragedy of every one are married already; some were as young as 12. of these girls, but a tremendous I don’t want to be married yet.” Faith, 19 year old loss for society as a whole. The girl, Zimbabwe. causes of early, forced, and child marriage are complex, interrelated and dependent on individual circumstances and context. The practice is driven cent of girls in Malawi and 46,3 per cent in Zambia will be by factors that include gender inequality, poverty, early sexual married as children, before they are 18 years of age while 31 activity and teenage pregnancies, negative traditional or per cent of all girls in Zimbabwe face similar risks2. religious norms, weak enforcement of law, and the pressure caused by conflict and natural disasters. These numbers could be possibly much higher. The full extent of child marriage in the region is difficult to gauge due to the predominant use of traditional marriage structures, as well Child marriage is a global problem: 10 million girls under

as the informal nature of marriage which is rarely recorded under an official marriage register. Given the urgency, new and innovative approaches are required to accelerate social change to eliminate child marriages. 18+ is Plan’s response to this challenge.

norms and practices that drive child marriage. • To facilitate an enabling legal and policy environment to protect girls from child marriage.

The 18+ Programme is part of Plan’s global efforts to support four million girls to get the education, skills and support they need to move themselves from poverty to opportunity. The 18+ is an integral initiative to address child marriages with a comprehensive approach across four countries in Southern Africa. 18+ is one of the Because I am Girl Global Girls Innovation Programme’s (GGIP) flagship initiatives.

Plan will work at three different levels: sub-regionally, nationally and community level. By working at all levels, including through strategic communication messaging, legislative frameworks, local governance structures and with girls themselves, Plan believes the practice of child marriage can be significantly reduced and eventually eliminated. Plan will work through schools, youth clubs and community based organizations to maximise its reach and engage girls and boys of all ages, especially adolescents. Boys will also be targeted as future husbands and fathers who will reject child marriage.

The overall goal of the 18+ programme is to contribute toward ending child marriage in the southern Africa region. The objectives of the 18+ programme are: • To mobilize girls at risk of child marriage so that they have the capabilities to determine their own futures, especially choices about if, when and who they marry. • To transform, through social movement-building, gender

The 18+ programme uses the main strategies of using safe spaces for girls, working with the families to increase awareness and understanding about child marriage, girls’ education, sexual and reproductive rights. The programme will also advocate for legal and policy change at all levels. Altogether the programme will be reaching 800 000 people in the four countries.

Our solution: The 18+ Programme

GraĂ§a Machel, renowned international advocate for women and children's rights, launched the sub-regional campaign.

An Innovative and Unique Programme 18+ is among the very few programmes worldwide that have been designed to reach a large number of adolescents and children on issues of child marriage. The programme offers a right balance between the depth and the promise of scale and sustainability of child marriage programming. 18+ will aim to support the creation of girl led social movement to eradicate child marriages. Comprehensive communications strategy will be developed, drawing on expertise on Communication-for-Behavioral-Impact. 18+ includes rigorous and innovative methodologies for attributing change thorough a solid M&E framework.

Invest in 18+ Programme Planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporters, both existing and new, play a critical role in the implementation of the 18+ programme by providing the financial input that will enable the programme to take off, be implemented and achieve its goals.

The power of investing in girls is astonishing Investing in girls has the power to save lives and transform futures, releasing the incredible potential of girls and their communities. We are working with girls, communities,

traditional leaders, governments, global institutions and the private sector to address the barriers that prevent girls from completing their education.

OAU

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

Saving Somalia

For the past seven years AMISOM, in conjunction with the Somali National Army has tirelessly pushed to regain what terrorist group Al Shabaab has so ruthlessly taken from the Horn of Africa nation. The successes are beginning to outweigh the failures, and as the balance of scale shifts towards a free and stable future, the Somalis may finally dare to dream of a life worth living. BY KERRY DIMMER

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

OAU

or all the wrong reasons, Somalia is always in the news. Unable to govern itself effectively due to armed and bloody civil conflict since 1969, the country has endured assassinations, cross-border conflicts, car bombs, and birthed the modern-day pirate. It is the latter of these activities that speaks volumes about terrorist practices, because piracy may just be Somalia’s most lucrative economic activity, extracting as it has, hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom over the past 10 years. Some of the profits from this appalling organised criminal practice have ironically been filtered back into the economy, creating jobs and fueling macro economies along the coastline. The rest of the ill-gained benefits are reinvested into the militia, and are further distributed to fund other criminal campaigns or bribes, thus making it exceedingly hard for the federal government, under the guidance of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to facilitate a strong and lucrative economic balance.

Peacekeeping attempts As is common with war, the human rights violations were, and still are, atrocious. Many interventions have been attempted, one of the most publicised, and largely unsuccessful being in 1992/3 when a UN-American joint initiative posted 28 000 troops to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope, an effort to alleviate wartime famine. The Americans stayed until early 1994 leaving shortly after two of its Black Hawks were shot down, only to return to Somali borders in 2002 with a 1 300-strong military counter-terrorism personnel base. Ethiopia also tried sending troops to the ill-fated country, but left in 2009. With piracy rife in the mid-2000s, the hijackers became indiscriminate, even hijacking UN food aid ships destined to feed Somalis. With a famine declared in 2011, and dominant terrorist group Al-Shabaab even conceding that help was required in the southern regions, 258 000 Somalis died in two years, half of whom were children younger than five. The United Nations has, over the

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

decades, consistently revisited how to solve the problem – Somalia. The UN honorably refuses to give up its peacekeeping efforts, and in 2007 its Security Council authorised the African Union to deploy a military peacekeeping force to the country with a mandate to support a national reconciliation congress and provide a report on how to secure and maintain a peacekeeping mission.

AMISOM AMISOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia, was authorised to take all appropriate measures to support dialogue and reconciliation by assisting with the free movement, safe passage and protection of all those involved in a national reconciliation congress. The bulk of AMISOM’s current 22 126 troops come from six African nations – Uganda, Burundi, Dijbouti, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone, and is headed by Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union

Commission for Somalia (SRCC). There are three arms to the operation, Military, Police and Civilian, that ensure AMISOM’s mandate is carried out with the most important objective to obviate threats by terrorist group Al-Shabaab. A major success in achieving this goal came about in 2011 when AMISON forced the terrorist group from capital Mogadishu. During 2014, AMISOM, in joint operations with the Somali National Army, has managed to reclaim 10 strategic towns from Al Shabaab’s control. This is pleasing news to those focused on liberating Somalia, along with the diminishing power capacity of the insurgents, the newly freed towns are now able to stabilise and rebuild. Despite the victories, ongoing challenges and engagements between AMISOM and Al-Shabaab, saw, most recently in September 2014 – a US airstrike killing the Al-Shabaab chief. In retaliation, a suicide bomber caused the deaths of 12 people, four of whom were US citizens, when an explosive-packed vehicle drove into an AU convoy just south of Mogadishu. Al Shabaab declared that this would not be the last time the group would target Americans, nor would it discontinue its attacks against the government. Despite the Al Shabaab threats, and its continual barrage of despicable terrorism acts, AMISOM remains undeterred. And it is not just in an enduring defensive role that AMISOM’s impact is felt. Its role as trainer to the Somali National Army has, in the past eight months alone, facilitated the graduation of 29 Platoon Commanders; and provided training to officers on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. An AMISOM Executive Leadership and Management Course given to 80 civil service leaders is the first of its kind to be offered. Together with the Italian government, AMISOM has focused on the Somali Police Force providing it with much-needed vehicles and Public Order Management training. Some 500 police have also been trained in Community Neighbourhood Security. But, AMISOM is not just a military

With a famine declared in 2011, and dominant terrorist group Al-Shabaab even conceding that help was required in the southern regions, 258 000 Somalis died in two years, half of whom were children younger than five.

operation; it also has a heart largely guided by the Humanitarian Liaison Unit. During mid-year, four water wells were donated to the Banadir administration in Mogadishu, which will benefit some 260 000 households. AMISOM has helped to rehabilitate schools, boost education, repatriate refugees, provide agriculture equipment, and play a crucial role in escorting food, water and medical aid convoys. Up to 12 000 civilians per month are treated at AMISOM medical facilities that were initially set up to treat military personnel. One of the most serious humanitarian concerns being addressed is child protection, and the Gender, Protection and Human Rights Unit has been undertaking a number of sensitisation workshops to highlight the role of AMISOM forces in protecting, monitoring and reporting violations against children.

Amid the crisis of civil war come stories of the spirit of a unit that although fierce in its resolve to protect the Somalian population, is just as committed to seeing the rejuvenation of this Horn of Africa nation. AMISOM base troops can be counted on to pick up agricultural tools and alongside the locals, plow, till and plant fields by hand, and rejoice the coming of rains to drought-stricken lands. Some troops are providing services as handymen, or simply just encouraging and supporting an entrepreneurial spirit with the surrounding local communities. In conflicting reports, it is said that between 500 and 3 000 AMISOM troops have been killed since 2007. Despite these losses, the AU remains committed to recovering and securing more towns from Al Shabaab before the planned general election and referendum on national constitution in 2016.

Celebrating 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity 1963 - 2013

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SYNERGISING WESTERN AND EASTERN APPROACHES: Facilitating Economic Development in Africa For decades the two global centres of power, the West (led by Europe and the Americas) and the East (led by China) have presented two contrasting approaches to economic development on the African continent. The West’s approach has been driven by conditionality, selectivity and direct financial support, while the East’s approach has been driven by nonconditionality, market building, and infrastructure delivery with tangible economic development. Below, Dr Snowy Khoza describes how economic development dynamics in Africa have undergone a paradigm shift, with the influence of the East now more pronounced than ever before, and argues that Western and Eastern approaches to economic development in Africa must be used in combination to realise growth and transformation.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: The Western Approach

The Western approach to economic development has been characterised by conditional support and aid funding with a bias on the selection of the recipient country. Furthermore, the support has been directed towards consumption rather than investment, fundability and macroeconomic management. By 2000, 80% of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s co-finance to Africa went to ‘good performers’.1 The question as to who the good performers are and what the basis for the measurement is, remain unanswered. The Western approach presents a case of selectivity which has not worked in Africa’s favour in its attempt to address the economic development challenges that continue to plague the continent. In addition, the West’s conditionality approach assumes that aid and investment work best in well governed countries, where corruption is not a big problem, and therefore more funding should be allocated to these countries. Corollary, poorly governed countries blighted by corruption should be denied aid. However, countries least likely to satisfy the West’s definition of good governance, transparency and anti-corruption are also countries that need aid most. Herein lies the problem of the West’s approach, by seeking guarantees that aid will be applied towards the intended objectives and distancing themselves from unsavoury regimes, the West has effectively denied aid to the majority of poor people on the continent.2 The irony in this is that despite the West’s conditionalities for investment to democratic states in Africa, the United States’ largest trading partner is China, a one party state. The formula the West has applied to post-independence and post1960 Africa is one that has focused on democracy-building over marketbuilding. The Chinese approach is the exact opposite. Intellectually, it is always preferable and easier to focus on putting in place democratic structures as a pre-condition to aid. However, in countries where poverty is still rampant, an uncomfortable counterargument can also be made, based on the continent’s track record for the last 50 years. In most of Africa, political growth remains as stunted as economic development. Political maturity, in the sense of a robust enough democracy for elections to result in actual power change, for the most part only works in countries like Ghana, where economic development is already advanced and broadbased,3 South Africa and most recently, Senegal and Kenya.

The Eastern Approach

By contrast, the East’s approach to economic development in Africa is

based on an unconditional and unselective path with the main objective being developmental and tangible results. In fact, Chinese companies are active in most African countries these days, exploiting the continent’s vast natural resources and pursuing ‘pit-to-port’ infrastructure projects long promised but never quite delivered by the West. These are all goals that African leaders have pursued for a very long time. In the past, a toxic combination of corruption, murky ties between ex-colonial powers (and their business elites) and the new rulers and overly complex planning structures derailed project after project. Given the Chinese companies’ ability to deliver projects on time and on budget (in most cases, at no financial cost to the host countries) it is no doubt that the Chinese offer Africa’s governments and people a clean-cut deal - if you work with us, we will build it, period. No ifs, ands or buts.3 Given that Africa’s economic growth has long been stunted by the lack of a dependable internal transportation infrastructure — within and between countries – which significantly limits trade, the Chinese offer is more than tempting and presents an opportunity of historic proportions.3

Combining the Two Models

Both approaches to economic development have their shortfalls. For the western model, these include issues such as: • Underemployed labour, capital flight, too little investment and high transaction costs • Bureaucratic governance structures and unfavourable business environments • Failure to establish a working capitalist mode of production • Long lead times for infrastructure delivery due to African governments’ lack of political will to implement western programs, such as the IMF’s structural adjustment program. For the eastern model, these include issues such as: • Unconditional support to unsavoury regimes which further fuels corruption • Direct employment is minimal as the Chinese employ their own staff and contractors • No transfer of skills • Increasing indebtedness of African countries as payments for infrastructure development is linked to extraction of resources without beneficiation. In spite of these shortfalls, there is general consensus from both powers that Western and Eastern approaches can co-exist to benefit Africa in a number of ways. Recent communication from these two camps indicates a convergence in their thinking on economic development in Africa. With President Barack Obama under pressure from Congress to push America’s agenda on the continent and his visit to three African countries with well-established democracy – Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania – now in full swing, it is not surprising that four of his six trip objectives are aimed at increasing trade and investment in Africa. It is evident that America sees Africa as a new growth frontier and a strong trading partner going forward. Although the President will, as part of his visit, meet with civic organisations, democracy is not listed as a trip objective. During his recent state visit to three African countries – Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo - the newly appointed Chinese President

By Dr Snowy Khoza

Xi Jinping stressed that China’s policy towards Africa is aimed at achieving mutual benefit, a win-win for all and ensuring realisation of all parties’ dreams. The President’s key note address at the BRICS Summit, entitled ‘Work Together for Common Development’, emphasised the importance of ‘equality, democracy and inclusiveness’. Given the above, it is recommended that the following be employed in order to build synergies between the two approaches for the benefit of Africa’s development aspirations: • China’s investment in productive infrastructure is effective in removing barriers to development and therefore needs to be encouraged • Tied aid minimises opportunities for corruption as funds do not pass through recipient governments and domestic companies. China should be encouraged to use local labour, perhaps through a quota system • The West needs to relax conditions and selection criteria and rather advocate for human rights and equality in line with President Xi Jinping’s call • China has a comparative advantage in infrastructure building while the West’s advantage lies in its well-developed financial institutions, systems, services and social development. The two camps should be encouraged to work together in the same countries without necessarily choosing not to opt out of countries where the other is dominant • The West needs to be encouraged to focus on development rather than aid investment.

CONCLUSION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Snowy Khoza is CEO of Bigen Africa, and a strategist with 20 years management experience and directorship skills in the South African public and private sector. She was previously Group Executive: Business Technologies and Facilities at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and founding Chair of Knowledge Management Africa. She has also chaired the multi-billion Rand Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority. Dr Khoza has a PhD in Social Policy from Brandeis University (USA) and an Executive MBA from the University of Cape Town.

While Western and Eastern approaches to economic development in Africa are in contrast, they all speak to the development needs of Africa. Therefore, synergies have to be created with a focus on development, infrastructure and economic growth rather than aid. Africa is witnessing an unprecedented improvement in political maturity and stability which should complement its developmental aspirations. Both President Obama and President

Jinping understand the importance of Africa in trade and investment and have shifted in their approaches to economic development for Africa. Whatever the preferences of the East or the West, it is clearly Africans who have to make the choice of whether to prioritise democracy or markets first.3

Courtesy of the World Financial Review. References 1 The World Bank: World Economic Indicators 2000 2 RH Wade: Globalisation, Poverty & Income Distribution 2002 3 Stephen Richter: How China’s Approach in Africa Complements the West’s Thursday, September 06, 2012 http://theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?storyid=9743 4. Xiaobing Wang and Adam Ozanne: Two Approaches to Aid in Africa:China and the West 2012 5. Daniel Kaufman & Arti Kraay: Growth Without Governance; World Bank Policy Research 2002 Working Paper No.2928

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