News / International
Africa needs support to develop says Mugabe
17 Nov 2015 at 05:57hrs | Views
Antalya (Turkey) - African countries require financial and technological support from developed countries to transform their economies through value addition and beneficiation of their abundant natural resources, African Union chairman President Robert Mugabe said on Sunday.
President Mugabe told a summit of the G20, a grouping of the world's most developed and emerging economies, that the continent needed assistance to shift from being primary producers of goods to exporters of value added goods to improve the lives of its people.
This, however, required financial as well as material support and not just aid, which developed nations were keen on providing to African countries, he said.
"We need technology, funding, loans not just grants to get us to move beyond primary to secondary levels," President Mugabe told world leaders who included United States President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The G20, whose economies make up about 85 percent of the global economy's Gross Domestic Product, is meeting in the resort town of Antalya, Turkey to discuss global challenges constraining economic growth.
Issues such as climate change and the growing threat of terrorism are also on the spotlight.
President Mugabe told the world leaders that African countries, however, should first take back full ownership of their resources - some of which remained under the control of former colonisers, most of whom are members of the G20 - if they are to successfully re-orient and transform their economies.
"The problem of Africa is lack of complete independence which makes us remain at the level of subsistence," President Mugabe told the summit.
"We don't control our economies and our natural resources are exploited by erstwhile masters. It's that area which we must address with you. That requires another revolution."
If supported, African countries would be able to gain full economic independence and grow their economies to the level of some of the G20 members, President Mugabe said.
"You look at us as lower class now because we don't qualify to your G20 for now. But with support we should achieve inclusive growth and development," he told the leaders.
The AU chair lauded countries such as China, Japan, India and Turkey that have invested in Africa through supporting infrastructure development and building of institutions to upgrade the continent's capacities.
He said the AU had adopted sustainable development goals it sought to achieve by the year 2063 and required support for these to be realised.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe commiserated with the world leaders following the terror attacks that killed 129 people and injured hundreds in the French capital of Paris last Friday.
French President Francois Hollande had to cancel his participation at the G20 following the attacks.
President Mugabe told a summit of the G20, a grouping of the world's most developed and emerging economies, that the continent needed assistance to shift from being primary producers of goods to exporters of value added goods to improve the lives of its people.
This, however, required financial as well as material support and not just aid, which developed nations were keen on providing to African countries, he said.
"We need technology, funding, loans not just grants to get us to move beyond primary to secondary levels," President Mugabe told world leaders who included United States President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The G20, whose economies make up about 85 percent of the global economy's Gross Domestic Product, is meeting in the resort town of Antalya, Turkey to discuss global challenges constraining economic growth.
Issues such as climate change and the growing threat of terrorism are also on the spotlight.
President Mugabe told the world leaders that African countries, however, should first take back full ownership of their resources - some of which remained under the control of former colonisers, most of whom are members of the G20 - if they are to successfully re-orient and transform their economies.
"The problem of Africa is lack of complete independence which makes us remain at the level of subsistence," President Mugabe told the summit.
"We don't control our economies and our natural resources are exploited by erstwhile masters. It's that area which we must address with you. That requires another revolution."
If supported, African countries would be able to gain full economic independence and grow their economies to the level of some of the G20 members, President Mugabe said.
"You look at us as lower class now because we don't qualify to your G20 for now. But with support we should achieve inclusive growth and development," he told the leaders.
The AU chair lauded countries such as China, Japan, India and Turkey that have invested in Africa through supporting infrastructure development and building of institutions to upgrade the continent's capacities.
He said the AU had adopted sustainable development goals it sought to achieve by the year 2063 and required support for these to be realised.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe commiserated with the world leaders following the terror attacks that killed 129 people and injured hundreds in the French capital of Paris last Friday.
French President Francois Hollande had to cancel his participation at the G20 following the attacks.
Source - New Ziana
