By Edward Chisanga
Africa’s obsession in the United Nations
African leaders are overly-obsessed with their countries becoming members of the United Nations Security Council which currently comprises only five permanent member countries – Russia, the USA, China, the United Kingdom and France. They argue that they’re underrepresented and marginalized therefore most important global decisions are made for them by these developed countries and China. It is the permanent members that have the power to veto and are basically ones making critical decisions on the UN’s major global issues. Many decisions made by the five permanent members are perceived as unfair, unjust and of inequality characteristics. South Africa has served as a non-permanent member for a third term in 2019-2020 and is most vocal. Its President recently called for it to be overhauled and for its composition to be representative of the global landscape.
My message
My message and advise to the President of South Africa is that whatever and however unfair these decisions are to Africa and his country, I doubt that joining the security council will help Africa and his country develop. Africa’s development will not come from the organization that I once worked for. More importantly, the UN security council will never generate development for Africa and South Africa. Prioritizing membership of the UN security council will only distract South Africa and Africa from addressing major economic challenges, mainly poverty, facing their countries.
South Africa’s economy is dwindling.
Even prior to the arrival of the ugly face of Covid19, the most powerful economy in Africa has been tottering and slumping. The track record since taking over from white rule, seen in Figure 1 below was an impressive GDP per capita growth, from minus 2.7% in 1990 to 4.3% in 2006. However, since then, the downturn trend took over, driving the economy down into negative, in the larger part of period to 2020 when GDP per capita growth tumbled to minus 8.2%, its lowest. GDP per capita that is not growing affects living standards negatively. Addressing this challenge seems to be more important to me than spending public time positioning oneself to become member of the UN security council.
The role of manufacturing in South Africa’s economy is faltering
South Africa is Africa’s crowning glory in manufacturing. It is the only country in Africa offering any real global competitiveness. But this dominant role has been diminishing since black rule took over in the 1990s as seen by its proportion in the GDP in Figure 2 below. Black rule took over when the proportion was about 24% but this abraded down to 13.2% in 2019. It means that the role of manufacturing in the economy is losing ground. My priority would be to find answers to this challenge and use it to feed million poor people in South Africa if I were President of this country.
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
I have another message for him. The President of South Africa is hypocritical when he continues to lament about the unrepresentativeness of the UN security council. Mr. Ramaphosa was fairly poor during the struggle to dismantle the apartheid regime. Today, he belongs to the very rich elite and economy of a few beneficiaries at the expense of the majority. If the UN security council is unrepresentative to Africa and South Africa, the South African economy over which he presides is to many poor South Africans.
It is the most discriminative economy on the continent that continues to perpetuate growing poverty among its African people. If a few UN security council members make decisions for the majority, the South African elite does for majority poor South Africans. I would focus on bringing inclusive development to South Africa if I were him. Being member of the UN security council will not feed the many starving poor South Africans. It is likely to only upgrade President Ramaphosa’s personal image at the very expense of his own starving people.
Concluding
The message to South Africa President cuts across other African leaders. The notes are for them too. African citizens will not feed themselves from the UN security council if our countries become members. Our leaders’ priority is to find answers for the growing and never diminishing poverty. I earnestly appeal to them to scale back their ambitions. Viet Nam, which has overtaken the whole continent of Africa in global exports of manufactured goods did not look to the security council but its own people.
He refused to condemn Russia. How much will you be paid for this article? We can no longer read alternative news about anything and anyone pro- or neutral on the Russia-Ukraine from the Russian perspective. How much are you getting?
Being a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council has nothing to do with a country’s state of its economy. This status circulates as a matter of UN policy.
It’s sad to see RSA which was on par with European countries is on the decline. It makes you start doubting about our seriousness on developing our countries.
Excellent article and to the point. Yes Mr C Ramaphosa is obsessed with his standing and certainly not interested in improving the life of his people. S Africa is a shocking affair. Apartheid was a Crime against humanity and the ANC will one day jugded likewise.
Who are we to judge his priorities? What if he decides to pursue the UN ambition simultaneously with fixing the economy? The two are not mutually exclusive. Let’s not micromanage his office
You are criticizing SA but you didn’t notice the behaviour of the Zambian delegation in the UN assembly? As long as countries behave like that, other countries will not vote for you. Besides that the security council has proven to be a helpless useless body, it hasn’t done and is not doing anything constructive in the Ukrainian case.
An Afro-pessimist at work.
IS AFRICA ONE BIG SINKING SHIP > ?
IM BEGINNING TO THINK SO
I think he is thinking stratergically especially when you see that in the moves and the present events toshape the global geo economics politics and balance in the Council ,to represent even us here in Africa favourably If you see the other 3 in the bricks india Russia and China including those in the mena,members regions driving different security and global eonomic agendas in the regional sense You can actually relate the current inniatives and activities for them to drive an alternative monetary and systems touches and matters in the security councils South Africa could bring also a balance and as a gate keeper in the council for the common good fall and humanity with little geopolitics and inclination you will need also tower the economy of south Africa in trades and investments he…
There is need to promote free trade as opposed to degrobalisation also the us that is seen as regionally shifting
When you see the events in Mali then you begin to support an au Member drive to bring those issues there but most importantly is to drive the economic Progress of the world and the countries especially Africa in the au we cud wish that individual countries could
Amongst us the countries unfortunately also capital and Investments in trades like in those United conference band trades statistics follow geopolitical events you can see now the shift of trades and investments from the west to the China Saudi and India very little to Africa as a result of Russia Ukraine conflicts So the drive for South Africa could be better as a representative of Africa and others in the regions but we wish individual countries could because security matters and to invest and make it part of the decision making in risk management is a plus you see in mozabique and the Somalia waters in sovereigns assets take overs its very important
WE NEED SERIOUS REFORMS AT THE UN, IT’S NOLONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE. HOW CAN IT BE WATCHING AUTROCITIES BEING COMMITTED IN FRONT OF OUR EYES. MAYBE THE UN IS MISTAKING THE INVASION OF UKRAINE FOR A BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE.
TO OUR PRESIDENT, YOU NEED TO HAVE A FIRM GRIP ON THE THE SUPPLY OF ENERGY FERTILISER, HIGH PRICES… THESE COULD BE THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL’S BACK, THE NEXT CROP IS AT HIGH RISK, HIGH PRICES AND SHORTAGES HAVE JUST BEGUN.
Some people are suprised that South Africa is going down drain, south africa going down is the worst nightmare for those who despise their so-called imperialist.
JUST THE SPACE.
@ Deja Vu South Africa has never been on par with European countries. Regarding what? GDP? Per capita?Perhaps you mean South African whites enjoyed the same standard of living as some European countries? When they were busy exploiting black labour and blackrights were on the braille.=? This tendency by Africans to praise bazungu for everything good they imagine just creates wide-eyed slaves looking for a master
The author makes it like Ramachandran has made his wealth from politics but the guy just got dragged into the veepee 10 years ago and he was already a tycoon
And Chisanga what do you mean OVERLY obsessed with becoming UN security council members? It’s 60 years since independent Africa joined the UN and its been mere spectators of decisions concerning Africa. We couldnt enforce resolutions for the freedom of South Africa Mozambique Namibia etc
Because they were vetoed
Ramachandran??? Kikikikiki autocorrector. Its Ramaphosa.
You African journalists don’t have to be negative about Africa to have an audience. Be positive