May 26, 2005
By Anish Abraham
THERE was something of a party atmosphere in downtown Johannesburg on Wednesday as officials, members of government, foreign dignitaries and city residents turned the provincial legislature piazza into a hive of activity.
The occasion was the celebration of Africa Day, on 25 May.
It was on this day that the Organisation of African Unity was formed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1963. Africa Day also marks the more recent founding of the African Union.
It is a celebration and acknowledgement of the continent's diverse cultures, languages and heritages, and this year the theme is "Celebrating the Contribution of our African Giants".
Among the high-profile guests at the Gauteng provincial government's celebrations were Nigeria's consul-general to South Africa, the Zimbabwean high commissioner to South Africa and a chief economic adviser from Madagascar.
Richard Mdakane, the speaker of the provincial legislature, opened the festivities by saying that African countries were intertwined, raising the need for greater co-operation between them.
"We cannot wait for others to develop the continent," he said, adding, "They cannot do much unless we want to develop the continent ourselves."
The threat posed by the rampant spread of HIV/Aids and the digital divide were put forward as major problems that had to be solved by African states through extended co-operation with each other. Mdakane said these challenges had to be faced head on, if Africa wanted to bring about the "African Century", as envisioned by prominent statesmen on the continent.
Mathole Motshekga, the former premier of Gauteng and a current member of the provincial legislature, called for a change in perceptions of the continent. "We need to stop this myth of Africa being the Dark Continent. Africa was the cradle of humankind and civilisation."
He pointed out that the great Egyptian kingdoms were once populated and ruled by black Africans, and spoke about the various African kingdoms that flourished on the continent before European colonisation.
Motshekga said the day should be used to reach out to the youth, telling them "the doors of education are open". Education was necessary to engender self-reliance and self-respect.
Paying tribute to programmes such as Nepad, the New Partnership for Africa's Development, as well as the formation of the African Union, Motshekga pointed out that governments were in transition from the politics of liberation to the politics of development.
Putting a local spin on the celebrations, Mdakane said he saw Johannesburg as Africa's most important city and commended the plan by City officials to turn the provincial capital into a world class African city by 2030, saying it was a very good and much-needed vision.
The celebration of Africa Day went beyond just words, however. Guests got to sample food and drink from countries like Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda. They were also able to browse through a large collection of art from various African states, which were also on sale.
Entertainment was courtesy the drummers of Drum Café, jazz sensation Simphiwe Dana and the Seipone African Rhythm marimba band.
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