You have news tips, feel free to contact us via email editor@thevillager.com.na

“Easier To Destroy Than To Rebuild,” Says Geingob on Africa Day

By: Hertha Ekandjo

President Hage Geingob says the African continent should reaffirm its commitment to the decision taken by the African Union in 2013, during which the Union pledged not to bequeath the burden of wars to future generations.

Geingob made these remarks on the commemoration of Africa Day on Wednesday.

His comments also follow a spate of coup d’état on the continent last year.

“As a continent, and specifically in the third wave of African leadership, we can ill afford to return to war, political instability and conflict. As the third wave of African leaders, we cannot reverse the gains we have made in fostering effective governance by respecting democratic processes, systems, and institutions,” Geingob said.

The President stressed that it is far easier to destroy than to rebuild.

“Thus, all our talents, including those of the youth and women, should be harnessed to advance our common agenda of peace and the shared aspirations of development through respect and promotion of a constitutional government in which the rule of

law is supreme.”

He said that Africa Day is a key moment in African history as it marks the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, which was instrumental in the continent’s eventual decolonisation.

This year’s theme is Africa’s Year of Nutrition, which is focused on the importance of addressing malnutrition and food insecurity across the continent.

Geingob said that the United Nations Human Development Index indicates that most African countries have made significant progress in education, health and other social sectors since the year 2000.

He further said that Africa today is a better continent for its citizens when compared to any point in its history.

“However, this is not a reason to become complacent because a lot of hard work lies ahead to build a prosperous and inclusive Africa for all her citizens, as espoused in Agenda 2063,” added Geingob.

According to him, the long march towards economic emancipation is incomplete and requires even more dedication than the fight against oppression.

He said that Namibia will work alongside other African countries to strengthen nutrition resilience for food security on the African continent.

“At a difficult time in world history, compounded by the climate crisis, to build the Africa we want, the primacy of peace and stability is, without doubt, a sine qua non-condition for sustainable development and prosperity,” said Geingob.

PDM President McHenry Venaani was, however, more critical, stating that Africa has to work on its areas of delivering social progression, and economic growth for its people

“59 years ago, Singapore was a village. Today, no African country can compete with Singapore or South Korea’s technological advancement, which is a single state with no mineral resources,” said Venaani.

He questioned African why African leaders led the continent into poverty and not into prosperity.

“The dream of the African Unity is very far because there is no cohesion amongst African nations themselves,” he said.

He said that African countries have too much tribalism within themselves. “If African countries don’t consolidate the project nation, African unity will become a pirate dream.”

LPM deputy leader Henny Seibeb said that Africans need to fight against poverty, inequality, expand access to land, and stop ethnic and religious wars.

Seibeb told The Villager that the African working class should seize the moment and ensure that those oppressive to the people and imposing unnecessary policies that don’t advance the working class should be rejected.

He further said the liberation struggle has changed to an economic struggle; therefore, Africans need to pull up their socks and fight the African economic struggle.

“African governments have oppressive policies against the African youth. They should get rid of them,” he said.

NUDO Secretary-General Joseph Kauandenge Africa Day is a sad day.

According to him, this is because Africans believe that former Ghanian President Kwame Nkrumah’s dream of a united Africa has been made a reality.

He said that is because of the selfish African leaders who betrayed Nkrumah’s dream of making the African continent a prosperous continent.

Africa Day is observed annually to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was created on 25 May 1963.

This followed the first Congress of Independent African States, held in Accra, Ghana, on 15 April 1958 and was convened by Ghana’s then prime minister Kwame Nkrumah.

According to the OAU, this year is an opportune moment for continued actions to build on the gains made over the years in fighting poverty and strengthening nutrition for healthier communities.

 

 

Hertha Ekandjo

Related Posts

Read Also ... x