Sinethemba elikhulu ngemiphumela yengqungquthela egqugquzela ukuhwebelana e-Afrika, kuloba uSihle Zikalala
UKUHWEBELANA kukhulisa umnotho futhi kudala imisebenzi ephilisa abantu. KwaZulu-Natali ngesonto eledlule sibambe ingqophamlando yombukiso obizwa nge-Intra-African Trade Fair (i-IATF) eqhakambisa igalelo leNingizimu Afrika ekuhlanganiseni nasekuqiniseni amaxhama okuxhumana nawokuhwebelana ezwekazi i-Afrika.
I-IATF yango-2019 eyayise-Egypt yaheha abakhangisi abangaphezu kuka-1 000 nezithunywa eziwu-2 500 ezaziqhamuka emazweni angaphezu kwawu-45 ase-Afrika.
Okunye okwagqama kakhulu ngalo mbukiso owawuse-Egypt wukuthi kwenziwa izivumelwano zokuhwebelana nokutshala imali ezilinganiselwa ku$32 million.
Umbukiso walo nyaka obuseThekwini nawo uthembise ukwenza kangcono kakhulu, yize izwe belisabhekene neCOVID-19 eshiye umnotho ukhahlamezekile emhlabeni jikelele.
Ohulumeni base-Afrika nosomabhizinisi bakhona bayakugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuhwebelana ukuze kuphuculwe impilo yabantu base-Afrika.
Isivumelwano sokuhwebelana kwamazwe ase-Afrika, esibizwa nge-African Continental Free Trade Area (i-AfCFTA), sihlose ukuphakamisa izinga lokuhwebelana kwamazwe ase-Afrika bese siqinisa iqhaza le-Afrika ekuhwebelaneni namazwe omhlaba.
I-AfCFTA iphinde yenze ukuthi i-Afrika ikhulume ngazwi linye ezindabeni zokuhwebelana namazwe omhlaba. Ngamafuphi, i-AfCFTA igqugquzela ukuthi zidle ekhaya ngokuthi impahla ekhiqizwe e-Afrika kumele idayise futhi ithengwe ngabantu base-Afrika. Loko kuyasiza kakhulu ekukhuliseni umnotho nokwenza ngcono impilo yabantu abakhele amazwe ase-Afrika.
Ukukhuluma ngazwi linye kwe-Afrika kuqiniswa wukuthi i-AfCFTA ilawula indawo yokuhwebelana enkulukazi emhlabeni engadayisela abantu ababalelwa ku-1.3 billion abanomnotho wamazwe abo obalelwa ku$3 trillion emazweni angu-55 ase-Afrika angamalungu e-African Union.
Loku kuhwebelana kwamazwe ase-Afrika kubukeka kuzothela izithelo ezinhle. I-United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (i-UNECA) ithi i-AfCTA ingasimamisa ukuhwebelana kwamazwe ase-Afrika ngo-52.3%, okukhomba ukukhula okukhulu komnotho welengabadi.
Libukeka liqhakazile ikusasa lemakethe yase-Afrika njengoba abantu baleli zwekazi kuthiwa bazobe bengu-2.5bn ngo-2050.
Okukhanga kakhulu ngemakethe yase-Afrika yintsha yayo uma iqhathaniswa neyamazwe omhlaba. Kudingeka ukuthi intsha yase-Afrika idalelwe amathuba omsebenzi ukuze kunqandeke ububha obudlangile kuleli zwekazi lethu.
Intsha iyisikhali esikhulu se-Afrika njengoba kuyiyo eqhamuka namaqhinga anobunyoninco kwezobuchwepheshe nezinto zokuxhumana nezesimanje ezithinta umnotho.
Izithunywa eziningi zihlabeke umxhwele yimibukiso ebisezingeni eliphezulu ebikhonjiswa ngosomabhizinisi abasebasha embukisweni we-IATF. Loko kuveza ngokusobala ukuthi liqhakazile ikusasa losomabhizinisi abasebasha e-Afrika njengoba sesingene esikhathini lapho sekukhonya ubuchwepheshe besimanje.
Kusezandleni zentsha yase-Afrika ukuthi ibambe amathuba ayingqayizivele aqhamuka nemibukiso eyivelakancane efana ne-Intra-African Trade Fair.
Siyizakhamuzi zaseNingizimu Afrika siyaziqhenya ngomlando wethu omuhle wokuthuthukisa ukuhwebelana kwelengabadi futhi sineqholo lokuthi ngokubambisana namazwe angomakhelwane sizoqhakambisa ukukhula komnotho wamazwe ase-Afrika. Siyaziqhenya nangeqhaza lethu esilibambe kwi-African Union nasemazweni eSouthern African Development Community neSouthern African Customs Union.
Ethula ngokusemthethweni i-AfCFTA ngoJanuwari, uMengameli Cyril Ramaphosa wakubeka ngokusobala ukuthi lesi sivumelwano sokuhwebelana e-Afrika sizosimamisa izwekazi lengabadi kakhulu. URamaphosa wanxusa abamabhizinisi abamnkantshubomvu nabasafufusa ukuthi bawasebenzise amathuba okuhwebelana namazwe ase-Afrika.
Sinethemba elikhulu ukuthi ukuba khona kwe-IATF eThekwini kuzoqinisa amaxhama okuhwebelana, kusimamise umnotho wase-Afrika nowesifundazwe sethu.
Siyababonga abantu besifundazwe sethu ngokwenza abadume ngakho; ukwamukela izivakashi ngomoya omuhle.
Leli yithuba lethu lokuheha abatshalimali kuleli likaMthaniya ukuze sithuthukise iKwaZulu-Natali, sakhe namathuba emisebenzi. Uhulumeni wesifundazwe nezinkampani nezimboni ezisesifundazweni bayasabenzisana ukuqhakambisa ubuhle namathuba akhona lapha kwelikaPhunga noMageba.
Sinethemba elikhulu ukuthi izithelo ze-IATF 2021 zizovela kungekudala zithuthukise iKwaZulu-Natali, izwe lethu, nezwekazi lase-Afrika.
- UZikalala uwuNdunankulu waKwaZulu-Natali