SPEECH ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN BRANCH OF THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM I S MFUNDISI There is truth in the words “Black man you are on your own”. The establishment of the African Peer Review Mechanism is meant to remove the dependency syndrome from the people of the African Continent. They should learn and accept to stand on their own. To us in the UCDP it is as apt as when we said “Re na le rona”, we meant that we have no one to look up to but ourselves. The same can be said of Africa at the time most people were asking what can they do? There is no doubt that some doubting Thomases in the West and elsewhere have a nagging feeling that the New Partnership for African Development is doomed to fail but we have to prove that people on this continent are not made of less valuable dust than on other continents. It is time to remember the late Steve Biko’s words “I write what I like” and Africans should say “we do what we like”. The UCDP applauds and supports the heads of State and Government on the Mother Continent for having come up with an instrument with which to pull up the continent from the quagmire with its bootstraps. The APRM is a bold, unique and pioneering measure that encourages African countries to analyse and assess their own progress and performance in important areas and then develop their own indigenous responses as they see fit. Although I for one had a lump in my throat on the occasion of the launch when the agenda had an item on the inauguration of the Governing council but none on its constitution or election, after the process to be followed was explained my party and I were put at ease. With the few human resources at our disposal in the UCDP we shall do our utmost to serve, support and stimulate interest in the course of the APRM. We surely have to realise the saying that Africa is for Africans and all who live in it.
|