By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has lamented the continued sanctions against Cuba and Zimbabwe, which “are imposing untold suffering on ordinary Zimbabweans”.
Ramaphosa says these sanctions have had a negative impact on the neighbouring countries.
“As many people around the world are confronted by hunger and want the essential human qualities of cooperation and solidarity must be evident in the actions we take to bridge the divide between wealthy and poor,” he said.
“In particular, we support the call to tackle debt and debt distress, to massively scale up affordable long-term financing to $500 billion a year, and to expand contingency financing to countries in need.
The United States has sanctions on Zimbabwean officials including President Emmerson Mnangagwa and says certain human rights reforms are needed to lift them.
“The sanctions that are applied against Zimbabwe should also be lifted as they are imposing untold suffering on ordinary Zimbabweans, but also have a collateral negative impact on neighbouring countries as well, such as my own country, South Africa, “said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa’s call at the UN came as the European Union (EU) was pulling its funding of $5 million (around R94.7m) to the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) over concerns raised by observer missions that the recent polls in that country did not meet international standards.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Observer Mission was the first to raise concerns about the elections in Zimbabwe.
Other international observer missions also said the elections did not meet democratic standards.
But this was dismissed by the government of Zimbabwe.
“It is a grave indictment of this international community that we can spend so much on war, but we cannot support action that needs to be taken to meet the most basic needs of billions of people.”
“South Africa continues to call for the lifting of economic embargo that was imposed 60 years ago against Cuba. An embargo that has caused an untold damage to the country’s economy and the people of Cuba as well,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa addressed the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on Tuesday.
The president also reiterated South Africa’s call for peaceful dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, calling on countries to refrain from actions that fuel the conflict further.
“As we confront other conflicts in several parts of the world, including on our continent Africa, we need to be investing in prevention and peacebuilding.”
Ramaphosa met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN 78th General Assembly, Zelensky told him that the African Peace Initiative undertaken in June was beginning to bear fruit.
“I have just held a meeting with President Zelensky, who says that, in part, some of our efforts are bearing fruit as children are now being returned and prisoners are being exchanged. But then we said we need to see this happening at a much faster pace,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa and other African heads of state, including Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Senegal’s President Macky Sall, the Comoros’ President Azali Assoumani and Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, visited Russia and Ukraine in June in a bid to broker peace in the conflict. SA has been criticised for taking a nonaligned stance since the war broke out in February 2022.
Ramaphosa told the assembly that Africa is ready for new investment and strong partnerships.
“Africa is ready for new investment and strong partnerships. South Africa is well positioned as the continent’s industrial centre, with deep capital markets, the rule of law, protection of property rights and a dynamic and youthful population.”
Economic reform agenda
Turning to the economic reforms agenda, Ramaphosa said the South Africa is focusing on expanding its industrial capacity.
“The availability of critical raw materials in South Africa and in neighbouring countries is driving efforts to expand high-value manufacturing. This is a real opportunity for more US investment that can leverage off the demonstrated manufacturing base of South Africa.
“African growth rates provide a stable growth in aggregate demand over the next decade and more,” he said.
The recently published African Economic Outlook for 2023 noted: “Growth is projected to rebound to 4% in 2023 and consolidate at 4.3% in 2024, underpinning Africa’s continued resilience to shocks.”
The report goes on to say that Africa is endowed with 30% of the world’s mineral resources and 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, the world’s most productive forests both in timber and carbon retention resources, and ample solar, wind and hydropower.
“With this kind of potential, savvy investors will be expanding… their base in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
“Our economic reform agenda also includes targeted measures to open the market for more South Africans to participate,” he said.
Invest in women & children’s health
Ramaphosa has called on Heads of State and Government to join the Global Leaders Network to champion the women, children and adolescent health agenda.
Addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday in his capacity as chair of the Global Leaders Network on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, Ramaphosa said in many countries international donor financing for health was waning and hugely fragmented.
“As Heads of State, we can provide leadership and inspire ambitious action. We have the convening power to mobilise our peers and advance policies, programmes and financing initiatives for improved outcomes.
“As part of our agenda, we must challenge the disregard in many communities and countries for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women,” Ramaphosa said.