The former flagbearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr. Ivor Greenstreet, has intimated that Africa is not yet at a stage to be politically united as a continent.
Speaking on the African Union Day celebration, he stated that unifying the continent politically will be a blue print created considering all the challenges. He further stated that it will take some time before “we get to that point where we want to see Africa get to.”
“The important thing is to have a vision and a strategy and set a target. Clearly, we don’t have much time left but clearly strategies have been put in place to get closer and closer. These are not easy even within our own nation states. We have difficulties with our institutions, difficulty with performing well in areas where ordinarily with just 30 million people we should be able to do that. How much more dealing with other jurisdictions and other forms of governments?
“The important thing to understand is that, in doing what one wants to achieve is to ensure that beneficiaries of that togetherness will exist along the way.”
Ivor Greenstreet
Africans must come together
Mr. Greenstreet called for Africans to come together, especially the youth from different cultural and socio-economic perspectives to help build the continent. He said although plans are already underway to see to the continent becoming unified, there is still lots to be done to bring it to fruition.
“For instance, if you look at the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), the importance and the hope it brings, there are still many things to do to fully implement it.”
Ivor Greenstreet
The former flagbearer further urged that the structures put in place should be beneficial to all and must not leave the countries in the same state it finds itself. He then indicated that African countries must overcome the challenges they are facing to help with the progress in unifying the continent.
“We have to work together to achieve the greatness of what our ancestors and;those who came before us sought to achieve. It is important, it’s a gradual process and we all have to be involved in it.”
Ivor Greenstreet
Africa has a long way to go
Also adding her voice to the discussion, Kumba Toure, the coordinator of Africa Rising, said Africa has a long way to go in becoming a dominant continent.
“We have a long way to go. Our leaders on the continent need to be ready to lose a little bit of power and accept to come together to be stronger. Because fragmented and small countries cannot be a big weight in the global arena.”
Kumba Toure
She explained that if the continent stays small and fragmented, it still stays under domination. She said even though most nations have achieved some independence, “we are still subject to economic domination.”
“Africa is still bleeding and nourishing the rest of the world because our riches still leave the continent and finish at very low price so that all the people can benefit from our riches.”
Kumba Toure
Kumba Toure then said the continent is also still struggling because it has leaders who do not respect the dignitary of their citizen and are not fulfilling the dream that our forefathers fought for.
Moreover, she posited that there is an issue of leadership across the African continent and called for a recognition of what is not working amongst these countries.
“We have a serious leadership challenge and today young people across the continent are conscious of that and are struggling. It’s a new wave of young people knowing what is happening and wanting something different because they know that it is possible.”
Kumba Toure
