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"Summit met Africa's expectations" -- Mbeki

Sapa, 5 September 2002

by Erika de Beer

President Thabo Mbeki said on Wednesday he thought Africa's expectations from the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development had been met.

Some countries might have been disappointed with the outcome of some issues on the summit agenda, he told reporters in Johannesburg after the conclusion of the event.

"For us as the African continent these are very much matters of life and death."

The whole continent thought it was important that the summit should come out in a straight and forthright manner with regard to poverty relief, Mbeki said.

"The fact that indeed the conference came out as strongly and clearly as it did was good."

Referring to a number of partnerships, including billions of euros committed to water and sanitation projects, which were announced at the summit, he said: "I do think African expectations have been well addressed."

He was asked about the issue of good governance, which some donor countries deem to be a precondition for development aid.

The continent had never treated good governance and partnership as quid pro quo, Mbeki said.

"The people of Africa need peace, human rights and democracy, but they have got to do these things as Africans, not to please anybody else."

The New Partnership for Africa's Development emphasised the need for a peer review mechanism to ensure good governance was implemented.

It showed the developed world that Africa is committed to peer review, but in its own interests.

"I hope they will judge us not in terms of prejudice or whatever information they might have.

"They need to respect the African processes to say what is good governance."

The G8 had accepted that, declaring that it was an African decision that they would respect, Mbeki said.

"We want to ensure we take hold of our own destiny. We can't depend on others' judgment about ourselves."