Former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has urged the current generation of African leaders to collaborate and harness the continent’s natural resources for sustainable development.
He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra’s 2025 Annual Leadership Lecture, held under the theme: ‘The Geopolitics and Geo-economics of De-dollarization: BRICS Currency Strategy, Lessons for Africa’s Common Currency and Beyond.”
He stated that it is time African leaders take a trip down memory lane to imbibe the ideals of pre-independence freedom fighters like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Sékou Touré, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Julius Nyerere, and their contemporaries who fiercely advocated for continental liberation.
He recalled that the struggles of such towering figures inspired him and his colleagues in the African National Congress (ANC), which eventually motivated the formation of the new MK Party to carry forward Africa’s enduring political principles into a new generation of leadership.
“Colonialism really reduced our self-esteem as Africans during the pre-independence era. The invading whites deliberately took away our rights and freedoms in order to impose their way of life on our valued indigenous traditions,” he said.
“The struggles of our freedom fighters and heroes such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Sékou Touré, Julius Nyerere, and Oliver Tambo—who fought at the peril of their lives—must not be in vain. The new crop of leaders today must continue lighting the torch of our forebears by advocating for African unity, ensuring that artificial borders designed by the colonial masters do not erode our destiny as one Africa,” he added.
“As a proud son of the soil and student of these distinguished forebears, I believe the politics of our societies must not shy away from the time-tested traditions that bound us as a people before the intrusion of colonial rule.
“I witnessed the fight against such forces up close in South Africa, which gave birth to the African National Congress. Though victory came late, it was ultimately ours. The time has now come for Africa to reassert its independence in all forms as a crucial step to controlling our own destinies,” he further stated.
Zuma further argued that Western powers are not genuinely interested in Africa’s economic independence, citing the imperialist policies they impose through Bretton Woods institutions like the IMF and World Bank.
He urged the continent to embrace the BRICS framework (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as an effective strategy to break away from the vestiges of neocolonialism.
“Time has shown that Western powers are not true friends of Africa as they pretend in their dealings. They have left the continent politically marginalized in the grand scheme of things, while our economic umbilical cord remains tied to the Bretton Woods institutions through their policies toward Africa.
“We must ensure that our political independence is matched by economic freedom through the creation of a common currency and by adopting the BRICS model of development, which provides an alternative to what the West prescribes.
“Once our destinies are collectively bound by sound policies and agreements at the continental level, Africa—with over 80% of the world’s natural resources—will become the cradle of a new wave of economic development, empowering our people to stay home and realize their greatest potential.”
In a related development, the Chairman of the event and Chancellor of UPSA, Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong, called on African leaders to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action by leveraging local resources for national development.
He praised H.E. Jacob Zuma for his unwavering commitment to seeing his country and continent maximize their potential and gain a stronger voice on the global stage.
“I am moved by the great exposition by our distinguished guest, H.E. Jacob Zuma, who was an excellent leader during his tenure as South Africa’s President and remains a shining model to millions of African youth aspiring to enter politics.
“We must urge our leaders to go beyond rhetoric and develop well-thought-out policies and programmes that enable citizens to maximize their abilities and create value for themselves and their nations. That is the only way to achieve a thriving Africa that resists becoming economic fodder for imperialist agendas.”
Since its inception in 2018 by the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, the Annual Leadership Lecture series has become a staple on the University’s calendar of activities.
The well-attended event attracted a diverse audience, including policymakers, government officials, university administrators, students, journalists, and members of the general public. Notable attendees were former President H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu, UPSA Vice Chancellor Professor John Mawutor, UPSA Council Chair Professor Harry Agbanu, former National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Clement Apaak, and Presidential Envoy on Religious Affairs Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, among others.
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Story by Sika Togoh|univers.ug.edu.gh
