By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former President Thabo Mbeki has called on African leaders to be truthful, transparent, and committed to safeguarding the continent’s interests in order to achieve meaningful development and improve the lives of its people.
Mbeki delivered a compelling message during the Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Annual Lecture.
The Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TMF) in partnership with University of South Africa (Unisa), the Government of Tanzania, and the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, hosted host the 15th Annual Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
The lecture was held under the theme, “The State of the Continent”.
The lecture took place at the prestigious Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre.
Mbeki said that Africa has the capacity and intellectuals to address the challenges facing it.
He emphasised the importance of investing in education, innovation, youth engagement in decision-making, and the fight against corruption, which he described as a major barrier to development.
“Africa is rich in resources and potential. What we need are leaders who think beyond elections, who are unafraid of accountability, who have vision, and who put the people and the nation above personal ambition,” he added.
Turning to developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mbeki addressed tensions involving former President Joseph Kabila, who recently returned to the country amid claims by the current government that he is supporting rebels.
Mbeki strongly criticised the government in Kinshasa for failing to understand the internal dynamics of the country and for resorting to foreign-led peace initiatives.
“The government in Kinshasa has not properly understood the Congo, its challenges, and how to provide the right solutions,” he said. “The problems of the eastern Congo are domestic. They don’t originate from outside the borders of the Congo.”
He stressed that real peace in the DRC would not come from bilateral agreements between Kinshasa and Kigali but from internal dialogue with groups like M23.
“Kinshasa must talk to M23. That is the correct posture. The solution to the Congolese problem does not lie in Kigali; it lies in Kinshasa.”
Mbeki also addressed Africa’s complex relationship with the Sahel region, particularly the military-led governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. While critics argue that engaging with these regimes risks legitimising military rule, Mbeki offered a different perspective.
Our connection with the military governments in the Sahel is informed by one thing: they want to move their countries towards genuine independence,”he said.
He highlighted that French neocolonial structures remain deeply entrenched in several West African states, stifling true independence.
“These countries have had this neocolonial relationship with France since independence, and it must end. We are not supporting coups. We are supporting the movement toward a genuinely independent Africa.”
Mbeki confirmed ongoing engagement between the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, noting that he has accepted an invitation to visit Mali, where discussions may also include delegations from the other two Sahel nations.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, underscored the need for every African to reflect on the continent’s achievements, challenges, and aspirations toward peaceful and stable development.
He paid tribute to the founders of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), and lauded their legacy of unity and Pan-Africanism.
“On behalf of the Government and the People of Tanzania, I take this opportunity to honour and commend the founding fathers of the OAU, whose vision of a united Africa still lives on. We also honour the leaders who came after them and continue to fight for economic liberation and continental solidarity,” Kombo said.