Business backs Mbeki for G8
7 June 2005
President Thabo Mbeki has received a strong message of support from the African business community ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Group of Eight industrialised nations (G8), which takes place in Gleneagles, Scotland from 6 to 8 July.
Business leaders at the World Economic Forum's Africa Economic Summit 2005 put their weight behind the findings of the Commission for Africa report that will be presented to G8 leaders, signing a declaration endorsing the Commission's recommendations for a multibillion-dollar aid plan for the continent.
Over 400 private sector leaders representing more than 200 businesses throughout Africa had signed the declaration by the end of the summit. The Commission for Africa report was the main focus of the three-day meeting, which ended in Cape Town on Friday.
"Let's give President Mbeki something to take to the G8 summit," Lazarus Zim, CE of Anglo American in SA and one of the summit's co-chairs, had told
delegates.
"Support is massive," said Eskom chair Reuel Khoza, who is also head of the Nepad Business Foundation. "It's the crest of the wave which we must ride."
Bush is on board: Mbeki
Reporting back to summit participants on his meeting with US President George W Bush in Washington earlier last week, Mbeki said that Bush supported the Commission for Africa's aims to combat poverty in Africa by ending debt relief and increasing aid.
While there might be differences between the US and other G8 countries about the proposed financial facility to raise the money for the initiative, Bush was determined that there should be practical outcomes on Africa at the Gleneagles meeting, Mbeki said.
"The debate will be on the mechanisms to raise the funds, not resistance to the proposals," said Mbeki. "President Bush has attended a series of G8 meetings, with Africa's representatives present. He believes the time has come for practical
outcomes, and [that] the G8 must identify the matters on which there must be action."
"President Bush cannot say to the American people that there is a tax to be imposed by some international body - they would not agree," Mbeki said. "But you can say, these are the resources we need - use whatever mechanisms necessary to raise this money."
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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