WINDHOEK, Namibia - Botswana’s Speaker of Parliament, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has urged African countries to strive for economic self-sufficiency by leveraging the continent’s vast natural and human resources.
Keorapetse made the call at the official opening of an online training workshop on trade-related issues, jointly organised by the Trade and Law Centre (Tralac) and the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with support from SIDA.
He stressed the importance of regional integration and intra-African trade.
Keorapetse said Africa had untapped economic potential and urged SADC member states to fully exploit the 1.5 billion population, $3.1 trillion GDP, and 30 million square kilometres of resource-rich land to improve the lives of its citizens.
He emphasised the need for better mobility, financial liberalisation, and free flow of goods and services across borders.
“It is particularly important that as the African continent we move towards taking advantage of our immense resources. How do we improve mobility of people from country to country? We still have countries in Africa which are still closed to fellow Africans. It is difficult to move around. We need to be moving towards a free flow of goods, free flow of finance, and most importantly, ease of movement because it is really challenging,” he told his virtual audience.
He cited bottlenecks in trade coordination, including long truck queues at Botswana’s borders, as key issues that require urgent resolution to enhance regional commerce.
The Botswana Speaker also warned against Africa’s over-dependence on international aid, particularly considering shifting policies in the United States of America. He referenced the uncertainty surrounding USA aid to Africa, stating that it should serve as a wake-up call for the continent to build sustainable, independent economies.
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“I will keep on referring to the developments in the United States where overnight it is uncertain in terms of the aid that has been coming into Africa. What does it say to African leaders? It means we must build strong economies and ensure our minerals and natural resources are turned into finished products. That way, we create jobs, trade with one another, and grow our economies to reduce dependency on aid,” he reasoned.
Keorapetse stressed that Africa must move away from exporting raw materials and instead invest in value addition to drive job creation and economic resilience.
He also highlighted the critical role of lawmakers in shaping Africa’s trade policies, calling for stronger legislative oversight over the Executive arms of governments so that trade agreements prioritise economic growth and job creation.
“Lawmakers have a mammoth role in providing effective oversight on the executive as they make decisions regarding trade. These decisions must benefit the people -leading to job creation and bridging income and wealth inequalities. It is for MPs to ensure that laws promoting the ease of doing business, intra-Africa trade, and regional integration are enacted,” he stated.
SADC PF secretary-general Boemo Sekgoma saluted Keorapatse for his commitment to regional integration, noting how he had served the SADC PF in various capacities for a decade with distinction.
“He is not a stranger to SADC PF. He has held various portfolios at the Forum, the latest being that of Acting Chairperson for the Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance, and Investment (TIFI), under which we are meeting for this training,” Sekgoma said.
The training, attended by over 100 delegates on Tuesday, continues Wednesday with the aim of equipping Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary staff with essential knowledge of trade and trade agreements to strengthen parliamentary oversight and legislative engagement in trade-related matters.
