Time 'not ripe' for United Africa, says minister

President Hifikepunye Pohamba will join other African heads of state in Accra, Ghana, for a meeting dubbed the 'grand debate' on the possible formation of a unitary African government, similar to the European Union, by 2015. While some African leaders like Muammar Gadaffi are pushing hard to establish the United States of Africa, Namibia and fellow countries in southern Africa say it is too early.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku said that the time was not yet ripe for establishing a single government for all 53 African states. He told the National Assembly before his departure to Accra that the heads of state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had already reached consensus at the end of 2006 "that the time is not ripe for a continental government".
Although the issue of a continental government was already raised as far back as July 1964 at the first summit of African heads of state in Egypt, a study was recently completed and made available to member states of the present African Union, which provided a road map to reach that union in three phases by 2015. Some member states, however, felt that more consultations were necessary due to the far-reaching implications of any decision on a unified African government, according to Hausiku. Other states argued that the issue was being pushed by some African countries. "At the political and constitutional level, the issue of sovereignty must be looked at with the handing over of authority to a 'federal authority', which would be the African Union Government," the Foreign Minister said. "This must be preceded by constitutional amendments and total re-organisation of the nation states' body politic. At the economic level, a common currency, a common economic policy, common external tariffs and many more will need to be dealt with both at national and regional levels," Hausiku pointed out.
At the social and financial levels, African countries would be required to make contributions to sustain a future unified African government. This would necessitate a budgeting process to be agreed at the unity government level. "The (unhindered) movement of people (in the labour market for example) on the continent will have to be liberalised across the continent. This will have an effect on the extent to which people will enjoy their rights, not only to work, but for all other social amenities as well. The scope of the actual financial implications is not quantifiable at this stage yet, but will be substantial," Hausiku said. He added that a meeting of African foreign ministers in Durban in May "overwhelmingly argued against an immediate formation of a unified African government," and proposed a gradual process. “The Namibian Government supports and agrees to eventual continental integration but maintains that we follow a gradual process through regional economic communities as agreed in the Abuja Treaty, establishing the African Economic Community," Hausiku concluded his contribution.
The Pan-African Centre of Namibia (Pacon) has added its voice to the debate by saying the envisaged United States of Africa should be created as soon as possible, because "it will be a threat to the Europeans' colonial and imperial interests." "We have to choose whether to please the Europeans or the Africans," Pacon chairman Johannes Tjitjo said at a media briefing. "Africa is the richest continent, but her riches benefited imperialists and colonialists and even continue to benefit them at the expense of the sufferings of African people," Tjitjo added. An African unity government would address these colonial legacies, he said. "Pacon supports all African efforts towards one single African defence ministry, single trade and foreign ministries." He also called for a national dialogue in Namibia on this topic. (The Namibian, Windhoek)