Introduction

1. Introduction • This is not a negative presentation; • As they say: All positive developments taking place on the continent are duly observed; • The point of the discussion is that we are under-delivering because, in large part, we lack a leadership that foresight, decisiveness, and strategic self interest in the manner in which we manage our resources; • 50 Years after most countries got political independence, the majority of Africans still live in poverty; • Yet, we all agree that Africa is the richest continent in the world-or should we say potentially? • Integrated resource management is one of the key and missing links to unleashing Africa’s potential.

2. YAY!-We are 50 Years Old African Countries (17) celebrating 50 years of independence in 2010 • Benin • Burkina Faso • Central African Republic)-There is conflict • Chad-Host to a signficant number of refugees • Cote D’ Voire -Peace (not quite there)? • Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)-there is conflict • Gabon • Ghana • Madagascar-There was unconstitutional take over of government recently • Mali • Mauritania- there was a coup recently • Niger- There was a coup recently • Nigeria • Republic of Congo- until recently, there was conflict • Senegal • Somalia- No Peace • Togo Why is this the case?

3. And how are we Faring? • Africa has recorded a slow rate of progress on most MDGs • The continent as a whole is unlikely to meet target of reducing under 5 mortality rate by 2015; • Africa continues to have the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, • Deforestation is on the rise in Africa • Overall: • African governments may have to make difficult choices: • Limited financial and human resources, as well as time constraints, they may have to choose between aiming to achieve all the goals by the target date or to achieve a few that they consider most critical for their development-yet these choices would undermine integrated resource planning; • So, even those countries that are 50 years old have nothing to show in terms of progress-there is no correlation between delivery and “old age”. • Even though they have-most of them, vast natural and other resources at their disposal.

4. A New Land Grab in Africa • Some African Countries are now “involved” in a new scheme of selling or renting out land to foreign governments and/or companies for • Growing food for their populations; and/or • produce palm oil, sugar cane and other crops that can be used as alternative sources of fuel in developed countries; • According to Friends of the Earth, more than five-million hectares of land across Africa, an area roughly the size of Denmark, has been sold to European companies in recent years to meet a growing demand for bio-fuels; • A separate report says that in Ghana there are companies from Brazil, Italy, Norway, Israel, China, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and India that are cultivating fields in the Volta, BrongAhafo, Ashanti, Eastern and the Northern regions of Ghana. • This is happening at a time when African communities have no land to meet their food security needs; and

5. A New Land Grab in Africa • The proceeds from such sales are used to meet short-term developmental gains; • The approach is shortsighted on both sides, and as far as climate change is concerned, undermines Africa’s future ability to reduce its emissions from the same source • It also leads to deforestation and water shortages; • There question is: Where is foresight and leadership in all this? Do these Governments take into account the development sustainability, and the needs of future generations who will have to fight battles to get this land back? • Unfortunately, the negative impacts of some of these land deals are irreversible.

6. ENERGY: Africa not powering itself, yet again • Plans are underway to develop a solar power project in the Sahara with the aim of piping, clean and efficient solar energy into the existing European grid, via Spain. • The £240 billion venture, brings together big energy names as Siemens and E.On, and is designed to meet as much as 15% of Europe's fast-rising electricity demand by 2050. And the first electrons could be coming on-stream in as little as five years' time…

7. What is Africa doing?

8. Africa not powering itself, yet again • What does this mean? • In a few years’ time, Africa will be buying renewable energy from European countries who had foresight to tap into Africa’s own resource; • While Africans are negotiating for “climate change funding”, the European private sector is investing into the future; • And tomorrow-Africans will say-we were cheated; • Tomorrow’s leaders have to know that the future is now!

9. Climate Change • Consensus that Africa will be the most negatively affected by climate change; • What is Africa doing about it? • Celebrate the fact that “for the first time, Africa has a common position on climate change-Copenhagen” • Based on “urging our partners” to increase funding; • Not taking into account the practicalities of the continent in terms of diversity; • Individual countries still pursue narrow interests; • Divide and rule tactics and manipulation by the same “partners” • Energy and climate change are going to be key determinants of development-and there is need for leadership, research and links to technology development if Africa is to be competitive? • The victim approach will not work!

10. Human Resource Management Our people are our most valued resource Really? • If this is true: • How come our nurses are gone overseas? • How come the doctors are practicing elsewhere? • And how come the teachers no longer want to teach? • Indeed, how come today –because someone did not foresee the needs of public servants-they are on strike? • Why do we continue to talk of lack of capacity in Africa-Yet we have so many people looking for employment? • Do we really value our people, or do we continue to train clerks-in many cases-hence the fact that some of our institutions cannot deliver! • Do the “leaders” care? • Maybe not today-but tomorrow’s leaders have to care and invest in people.

11. Integrated approach to resource management A country cannot develop itself in a “silo” approach • Education and human resource development-the education system has to be clearly linked to the development trajectory of a country. Example: In the 1990’s we used to joke that if one threw a stone in the street, the chances were that the stone would hit an unemployed graduate. • Even though the economic mainstay was agriculture and mining-the education system overproduced teachers and nurses-who ended up being unemployed (as well as political scientists) • The education did not strategically empower the graduates with agricultural skills to ensure that they could become the backbone of the agricultural economy of the country. Today, there is a gap between the agricultural aspirations of the country, land management, and the needs of the people, let alone the economy. The land is there, but not being utilised for the benefit of the people. • Tomorrow’s leaders need to understand the interwoven nature of politics, economics, and resource management.

12. Going forward • Leadership • Governance • Management • Participation • Planning must be participatory • There must be inclusivity and ownership • Empowering people to use national resources to transform their destiny

13. Conclusion • Slavery and colonialism have taken a new meaning-we enslave ourselves? • A guy who says “I want to reapply for colonialism”-because my government does not care; • Why do we call every head of state in Africa a leader? What is a leader today in Africa? • An accountable leadership? • A leadership with foresight-leading today for tomorrow? • How is it possible that we end up with a Naomi Campbell/ Charles Taylor Diamond/Situation? • Integrated approach to resource management? • Using resources for the development of the people. • What is the Thabo Mbeki Institute for Leadership going to do to make this dream a reality?