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WE are currently in a period of global turbulence where the balance and security of the geopolitical order is under stress.
The conflict in various parts of the world does not take place in isolation, it has consequences for foes and allies alike and, unfortunately, for the economies of all the nations around the world.
We are, in Southern Africa, proud of the political independence that we have achieved from our political and economic oppressors post the period of colonialization.
Whilst we have not yet translated that independence into economic independence and broader local participation in wealth, I am of the firm conviction that we have the will and wherewithal to do so.
This conviction should be translated into momentum to ensure that our legacy as African leaders is what I term the Second Liberation.
That liberation should have as its focussed goal, the process to ensure that we become the masters of our own economic and commercial future.
When I was Premier of Mpumalanga, my Office and I started an initiative which we termed the Maputo Corridor project.
Its aim was simple: To utilize the export route to the Maputo harbour to its fullest and maximise small business and industrial opportunities along the route.
To that end, we negotiated buy-in from the Mozambican government, its Gaza and Maputo provinces and the Swaziland government.
In addition, both Presidents Mandela and Chissano requested me to become involved in promoting agriculture in the Niassa province, a project that I and other investors are involved in, to this day.
The Maputo Corridor initiative still has much potential to create additional opportunities for the countries in the region, along with their respective private sector partners.
To achieve optimal benefits from this cross-border framework, we need maximum deregulation from the government, for them to create an enabling environment, and for the private sector to take the lead in mobilising resources to benefit from the opportunities in agriculture, tourism and related industries.
Our region and continent must shape its own economic future. We must, in an unapologetic fashion, claim our commercial birthright from the international companies who benefit from our rich resources.
But we must not do so passively. We must become active partners and entrepreneurs who bring our local knowledge, expertise and experience to play into creating opportunities and jobs for local businessmen and women.
We are leaders, and leaders fight and negotiate for the opportunity to be the architects of their own destiny – as equal partners.
We have a duty, and a God-given opportunity to light up the continent, literally and figuratively and to shape a prosperous future and legacy for our children.
There are a number of ways in which we can do that. One is to ensure that the regional structures are transformed from debating societies into dynamic, effective structures that create economic opportunities.
A second is to hold a private sector-driven conference that revisits opportunities created by the corridors between our regional neighbours.
Last, but not least, we should, in our resource-rich region, strive to strengthen our institutions that support our investment initiatives. Our institutions should be effective and competitive with alternative investment destinations.
Let us, as committed citizens of this beautiful region and continent, shape a success story right here and now.
- This is an edited version of an address by Dr Mathews Phosa Annual Private Sector Conference in Maputo, Mozambique Phosa is a business leader, ex-Treasurer-General of the ANC and former Premier of Mpumalanga.
