Namibia is happy that the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) presents considerable opportunities for accelerating intra-African trade, using trade more effectively to transform the continent into a global powerhouse and realising Agenda 2063.
These remarks were made by President Hage Geingob in a statement availed here by the Presidency on Saturday, on the commemoration of the African Union (AU) Day.
“We are encouraged that there has been an increase in intra-African trade and investment, fostering economic cooperation among member states.
The fight against climate change is one of the most urgent challenges which compels us to adopt clean energy solutions. Through the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme, Namibia is committed to playing its part in the development of Africa and the decarbonisation of our Planet,” he said.
Geingob further stressed that during the second wave of African leadership under the Cold War period the continent experienced reversals, coups d’etat and the rise of one-party states, of which some managed to achieve progress.
The mandate of the AU is transformational, he said, however, there have been democratic reversals with the rise in coups and unconstitutional forms of government, noting that whenever this happens, it is the Africans (and not others) who have been consistently first to condemn as regional organizations and African leaders under the AU.
“We can only achieve our true potential when we silence the guns,” he said.
Geingob reiterated Namibia’s commitment to a stronger and more effective African Union, saying to achieve this objective, there is a need for the role of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) to be strengthened.
The current situation whereby a Head of State and government becomes Chair of the AU, assuming a bigger representative role for Africa, results in a situation that undermines the efficacy of the Office of the Chairperson of the AUC, he said.
“As we celebrate African Union Day, let us remember the visionaries who paved the way for our liberation, the leaders who shaped our institutions and the countless individuals who strive for a better Africa every day,” he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency