Pretoria - Government says it's not concerned about rumours that some leaders may stay away from the 25th African Union (AU) Summit taking place in Johannesburg and Pretoria, as a sign of a boycott, in the wake of attacks on foreign nationals in some parts of the country.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane said in fact, South Africa is ready to welcome the Heads of State and Government who are expected to arrive in Johannesburg later this week to attend the summit at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Several media houses, quoting unnamed sources, claim that some leaders, angered by the attacks, may not attend the summit.
“I am pleased to confirm that all AU member states are represented at this summit and the majority of Heads of State will be attending. I am not aware of any leader who is not attending. We are ready to host a successful summit,” Minister Nkoana-Mashabane told reporters in Pretoria on Monday.
The last time South Africa hosted an AU summit was in 2002 when the Organisation of African Unity was transformed into the current AU.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who was elected as chairperson of the AU in January this year, will chair the summit.
It takes place at a time when the continent is faced with the insurgence of terrorists groups in countries like Nigeria and Kenya as well as political instability in Burundi.
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said the summit will, among other things, focus on the Agenda 2063 and its first ten years of implementation, peace and security on the continent, women development as well as continental integration.
Agenda 2063 is a call for action to all segments of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa based on shared values and a common destiny.
It will focus on the rolling plan of 25 years, 10 years, five years and short term action plans until 2063.
“As the host country, we are confident that all arrangements are in place and that the environment is conducive for what we believe will be a successful summit,” Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said.
The Minister confirmed that finding alternative sources of funding for the AU programmes will also feature prominently in the agenda of the summit. She stressed the importance of a financially healthy AU in order to reduce poverty in a continent where half of the population live on less that one US dollar a day.
President Jacob Zuma will host a dinner this week with the hope of raising funds for the AU Foundation. The dinner will be preceded by a golf day to encourage private companies to donate money to the AU Foundation.
Transformation of the UN Security Council
Heads of State will also be using the summit in South Africa to reiterate their call for the transformation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
It will not be for the first time that the AU calls for the reform of the UNSC. The body’s composition of 15 member states - of which 10 are non-permanent, and five permanent states remains largely unchanged.
African leaders are challenging the UN to reform and have proposed a more inclusive, democratic and representative UNSC before the end of this year.
South Africa served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC on two occasions in 2007 to 2008 and then in 2011 to 2012 and the country played a critical role in voting on various resolutions. But it appears that this has not been enough, strengthening the calls for a permanent seat for Africa.
“About 70 percent of the issues the UNSC deals with are about Africa. So it is about us; without us, it cannot be. We think as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UN, the reforms of the UNSC are important and our calls for transformation should be heeded,” Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said.
African Standby Force
The 25th summit is also expected to be updated on the progress made towards the establishment of the African Standby Force (ASF).
In 2014, calls were made to the AU to ensure that the ASF is fully operational by this year. This was followed by the decision in 2013, to establish an African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) as a transitional arrangement ahead of the ASF becoming fully operational.
The ASF will be a continental and multidisciplinary peacekeeping force with military, police and civilian contingents that acts under the direction of the African Union.
The ASF is to be deployed in times of crisis in Africa and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia would serve as the Force's Headquarters.
Illicit financial flows
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said former President Thabo Mbeki will report to the summit on his work to investigate illicit financial flows from Africa.
Mbeki is the chairperson of the African Union’s (AU) high level panel on illicit financial flows.
Recently, he told the Pan African Parliament in Midrand that the illicit financial flows cost Africa $1 trillion over 50 years.
He first started investigating the illicit financial flows for the AU in 2012 and has since uncovered wide-ranging abuses of financial laws. – SAnews.gov.za
