Debate on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Ghana, National Assembly, 15 March 2007

Madame Speaker
Honourable members

It gives me great pleasure to participate in this debate on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the independence of Ghana. It was this event on 6 March 1957 that changed the face of Africa, and which was the start of the process of re claiming Africa's birthright and the dignity of the African people.

Under the leadership of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah this heralded the beginning of the process of African independence in the modern era and this example served to stimulate the process towards ending colonialism across the continent, and was the beginning of the wave of independence which swept the continent the 1960s and culminated in our own freedom 13 years ago.

Ghana's independence gave us much hope 50 years ago, and that country continues to give us hope on our new quest for economic emancipation - for our economic independence.

In spite of its many post-independence trials and tribulations, modern-day Ghana has managed to straddle the two worlds of underdevelopment and development with much maturity and leadership. In the process, Ghana has become the embodiment of the vision of the African Renaissance.

All of us on the African continent have learnt many lessons from Ghana. One could say that Ghana has been a vanguard nation - in 1957 and now. As one of the first nations on the continent to gain independence Ghana has led the way as a stable country, under democratic rule and now also serves as an anchor of economic growth and development.

Endowed with great resources, Ghana was historically known as the Gold Coast or Golden Ghana, partly for its storehouses of gold and partly because it was considered by its neighbours to shine as brightly as gold itself. Such was the attraction of gold that Ghana was a hive of economic activity, drawing many foreign nations to our continental shores as successive colonial powers sought to secure a place in the booming trade in gold.

SO while political solidarity has kept us together as a continent through the tough years of apartheid and colonialism, we recognise that economic development is our current challenge. Political solidarity alone is not enough and must be supported by strong economic co-operation.

With Ghana we enjoy excellent economic relations which is a major trading partner on the continent and in recent years, trade between our countries has grown tremendously.

There are about 35 South African multinational and small scale companies registered in Ghana. Since 1994 , a capital injection of more than $36million from South African companies has been invested in Ghana

Also there are an increasing number of other countries that invest in Ghana because it is one of the most sophisticated economies on the continent.

Consider this example from an article published in the Washington Post by Carol Pineau entitled The Africa you never see, wherein she states:

In the waiting area of a large office complex in Accra, Ghana, it's standing room only as citizens with bundles of cash line up to buy shares of a mutual fund that has yielded an average 60 per cent annually for the past seven years. They're entrusting their hard earned cash to a local company called Databank, which invests in stock markets in Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana and Kenya that consistently rank among the world's top growth markets.

Also little known, is that the Ghana Stock Exchange regularly tops the list of the world's highest performing markets

So South Africa and Ghana continue to have strong ties both politically and economically. Our political relations will be given further impetus this year, when in July, we launch the Joint Cooperation Commission.

Also on the multilateral level His Excellency, President Kufuor chairs the African Union and the July AU Summit will be held under his the Chairship in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

Ghana also plays a key role in Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) mediating the various crises that have affected the volatile region from Sierra Leone to Cote d"Ivoire. Under President Kufour's leadership, Ghana was also the first country to undergo the African Peer Review process with a positive result.

Both our countries share a common vision for the continent and world. We both work towards the eradication of conflict on our continent, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

We are now in the early years of a new wave of independence, in which we are actively striving to rid our continent of all the negative stereotypes associated with it, such a war, famine and disease, through developing our economies, investing in our infrastructure and working with our partners on the African continent and beyond to build prosperous societies.

Madame Speaker

Ghana is today a stable democracy, a country admired by its neighbours in West Africa and in the International community. As a country that has contributed so much to the liberation of our continent from colonialism's bonds, Ghana plays a crucial role in contributing to the vision of a better Africa and a better world.

Towards this end Ghana's foreign policy objectives continue to be directed towards promotion of a just and equitable international economic and social order. These are ideals for which we stand and which we too promote.

As a young nation and democracy, we have learned from Ghana. She has produced a high calibre of leaders whose contribution to this vision of African Unity has left a lasting legacy.

Today, as we strive for African Unity, we remember the contribution that Kwame Nkrumah made. As we celebrate the unstoppable trend towards democratisation, we remember that one of Ghana's greatest sons, Kofi Annan has been instrumental, through his extraordinary personal and professional efforts, in elevating the African Agenda to global forums.

As we celebrate the milestone African Union decision to strive for gender parity within all structures of organisation, we must not forget the legacy bestowed upon us by the Ashanti, who place the woman as the final arbiter in all decisions in the Ashanti community.

Both our countries' people cherish and celebrate their diversity and so both our peoples are ready to rekindle the filial ties and kinship that had been suppressed by the artificial restrictions imposed by the apartheid regime. We are hugely encouraged by the increasing people-to-people contacts from our respective countries.

We also look forward to participating in Ghana in 2008 in the Africa Cup of Nations and, we also look forward to hosting the Black Stars at the FIFA World Cup here in 2010.

We hope that we will learn a lot from the Black Stars in 2008 as our own team prepares to host the 2010 World Cup!

We are indeed proud to associate ourselves with the cultural and sporting achievements of Ghana. Their display of skill and finesse during the Soccer World Cup in Germany indeed filled many of us with pride and made us proud to be Africans.

Madame speaker

Ghana has given us all hope - in 1957 and during this half centenary celebration in 2007. At the colourful and happy ceremony in Ghana's capital last week, President Kufour said:

" This is a celebration not only for Ghana, but also for the whole of Africa. March 6 1957 changed the outlook of Africa,

There is no doubt that Africa and many of its nations are making progress. I urge our young people to resolve to stay at home, use their energy and enthusiasm to serve Africa."

This resonates with us as we pursue our own political and economic objectives. We continue to be inspired by the successes of Ghana and the things they have taught us.

I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to the people and government of Ghana for 50 years of freedom.

Ms Sue van der Merwe, MP
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,