Thabo Mbeki
The South African president, Thabo Mbeki, is on his way to Heiligendamm to take part in Friday’s outreach talks at the G8 Summit.
But Thabo Mabaso says it’s worth remembering that the G8 isn’t the only global forum where decisions about Africa are made.
This week at the Alternative G8 Summit in Rostock I talked with Hassen Lorgat, a well-known NGO lobbyist in South Africa.
He mentioned an important, yet little acknowledged fact: while African nations and groups recognise the importance of bodies like the G8, there is growing discomfort that this club of rich nations does not speak for everyone, especially the African continent.
Most importantly, he added: “We recognise that nothing can happen for us without us”.
Africa faces what to some may seem to be insurmountable problems. HIV and AIDS, poverty, the effects of climate change, underdevelopment. The list is long. There have been countless attempts to try and sort these problems out. But these have failed dismally for various reasons.