Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, says she is concerned that current global tensions and conflicts are shifting attention from the African continent.
Speaking on the second day of the Cape Town Conversation conference, Pandor pointed out that the continent is beginning to regress from the earlier gains of democratisation.
She says Africa has a lot of attributes that, if properly harnessed, could ensure the continent achieves its developmental goals.
She says the continent needs leaders who are able to harness its diversity and huge endowment with natural resources to drive development.
“These disruptions have worrying impacts on the continent and African aspirations for fundamental change in our world. In our current state, there are 20 conflicts underway. We have had a recent resurgence in coups, especially in our West African region. And we also see a worrying decline in democratic practices and in institution formation for the public good.”
@DIRCO_ZA Minister, Naledi Pandor:
Meaningful partnerships remain at the heart of the paradigm shift for Africa’s developmental agenda. We need to insist these partnerships shift the needle for true development through industrialisation…and growing the economies. #CTC23 pic.twitter.com/thkq8FgQUN
— United Nations in South Africa (@UNinSouthAfrica) November 25, 2023
