Africa should develop ways to support AU, NEPAD

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JOHANNESBURG: The African continent must develop ways through which Africans abroad and African Diaspora structures will be able to support the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

This is according to Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba, who was speaking at the Independent Development Trust (IDT) annual community dialogue on social cohesion, on Thursday, 20 August 2009, which aims to promote peace and tolerance in South Africa.

"It would be crucial for Africa to find ways to ensure that Africans abroad and African Diaspora organisations support and galvanise support for the AU and NEPAD, and invest in their own continent and countries," he said.

Gigaba said this must be created to ensure a transfer of resources, skills, information and knowledge to support African political and foreign policy objectives.

The support should include continuing to manage the easing of regulations and the bureaucratic red tape on skills recruitment and investment attraction.

"Ultimately, adequate and sober leadership is required on this matter to ensure that we can fully realise the positive benefits of international and even domestic migration of people.

"Forums such as this are important to harness public discourse and extend it beyond government actors and academics, and ensure that it reaches communities and ordinary people," the deputy minister said.

BuaNews