S. Africa hails Uganda fight against apartheid
Oct 10, 2003
THE visiting South African business icon, Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, has hailed Uganda for its contribution to the black cause against the past apartheid regime in South Africa.
By John Eremu
THE visiting South African business icon, Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, has hailed Uganda for its contribution to the black cause against the past apartheid regime in South Africa.
Speaking on the eve of Uganda’s 41st independence anniversary, Ramaphosa, a former secretary general of the ruling African National Congress, said Uganda was one of the few African countries that diverted their resources from national development to freeing South Africa.
“I could not believe that we had countries like Uganda and leaders like President Yoweri Museveni (right) who are willing to halt their developments to allow the freedom of other African countries,†Ramaphosa said.
He was presenting “A New Africa in a Fairer World†paper during the 12th Joseph Mubiru Memorial Lecture at the conference centre in Kampala.
Ramaphosa called for peaceful resolution of conflicts on the continent.
“It is ironic that while Europe saw shared prosperity as the route to prevent the outbreak of another European War, the countries of the North have not taken the same approach to ensuring global stability,†he said.
He said the recent collapse of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in Cancun, Mexico, resulted from failure by the US and the European Union to make concessions on subsidies to their agricultural sector.
Discussing Ramaphosa’s paper, Prof. Yash Tandon of the Zimbabwean-based Southern and East African Trade Information and Negotiating Institute (SEATINI) said the WTO an undemocratic institution.
“The WTO is terribly undemocratic in decision making. It’s non-transparent, power-driven and immoral,†Tandon said to an audience of mainly bankers, academics and parliamentarians.
Tandon, a member of the famous Uganda’s Gang of Four of the 1980s, rubbished as a mere slogan, the talk of free trade and comparative advantage.
“There is nothing like free trade. All trade is manipulated and there is nothing like comparative advantage,†he said. He said the collapse of the Cancun talks was a great achievement to the developing world because it clearly pointed out that trade can never be fair.
The Joseph Mubiru Memorial lecture is organised annually by the Bank of Uganda in commemoration of its pioneer Governor, killed by Idi Amin in 1971 for upholding moral and ethical values of the central bank.
Ends
THE visiting South African business icon, Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, has hailed Uganda for its contribution to the black cause against the past apartheid regime in South Africa.
Speaking on the eve of Uganda’s 41st independence anniversary, Ramaphosa, a former secretary general of the ruling African National Congress, said Uganda was one of the few African countries that diverted their resources from national development to freeing South Africa.
“I could not believe that we had countries like Uganda and leaders like President Yoweri Museveni (right) who are willing to halt their developments to allow the freedom of other African countries,†Ramaphosa said.
He was presenting “A New Africa in a Fairer World†paper during the 12th Joseph Mubiru Memorial Lecture at the conference centre in Kampala.
Ramaphosa called for peaceful resolution of conflicts on the continent.
“It is ironic that while Europe saw shared prosperity as the route to prevent the outbreak of another European War, the countries of the North have not taken the same approach to ensuring global stability,†he said.
He said the recent collapse of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in Cancun, Mexico, resulted from failure by the US and the European Union to make concessions on subsidies to their agricultural sector.
Discussing Ramaphosa’s paper, Prof. Yash Tandon of the Zimbabwean-based Southern and East African Trade Information and Negotiating Institute (SEATINI) said the WTO an undemocratic institution.
“The WTO is terribly undemocratic in decision making. It’s non-transparent, power-driven and immoral,†Tandon said to an audience of mainly bankers, academics and parliamentarians.
Tandon, a member of the famous Uganda’s Gang of Four of the 1980s, rubbished as a mere slogan, the talk of free trade and comparative advantage.
“There is nothing like free trade. All trade is manipulated and there is nothing like comparative advantage,†he said. He said the collapse of the Cancun talks was a great achievement to the developing world because it clearly pointed out that trade can never be fair.
The Joseph Mubiru Memorial lecture is organised annually by the Bank of Uganda in commemoration of its pioneer Governor, killed by Idi Amin in 1971 for upholding moral and ethical values of the central bank.
Ends