Africa Day: Cyril Ramaphosa Says African Countries Should Refuse to Be Drawn Into Foreign Conflict

• President Cyril Ramaphosa had a stern message for African leaders at the Africa Day celebration at the Cradle of Humankind
• The president stated that the African continent should refuse to be drawn into a foreign conflict
• South Africans are not enthused by the president's Africa Day message and say the continent is too reliant on foreign financial aid

JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa had a strong message for African leaders during the Africa Day celebrations at the Cradle of Humankind on Thursday, 25 May.

The president said African nations should not allow themselves to be drawn into the foreign conflict and should take their place on the global stage.

Ramaphosa remarks on South Africa being forced to abandon its non-aligned foreign policy

Ramaphosa reflected on the African continent's painful history of being involved in proxy wars and said the continent must not return there.

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According to SABC News, the president added that South Africa would continue to adopt its non-aligned stance and would resist taking a different stance despite the pressures.

“South Africa has not been and will not be drawn into a contest between global powers. We will continue to resist calls to abandon our independent and non-aligned foreign policy,” said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa added that we observe Africa Day to remind ourselves of Africans' resilience. The president remarked that colonial powers would have succeeded in taking over Africa's wealth if Africans were not buoyant.

Activists earmark Africa Day with calls to protect precious resources

For activists, Africa Day was about protecting and preserving coastal communities and environments that were at risk.

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According to EWN, with the piqued interest in offshore drilling for gas and oil increased by international communities, activists say communities should not be taken advantage of.

Lisa Makuala of Green Connections stated that living communities usually bear the brunt of poverty while mutilation companies profit. She noted that these community members should be taken seriously when expressing concerns about the environmental impacts of oil and gas exploration.

South Africans react to Ramaphosa calling on African countries to take their place

@HloCofu said:

"Afrika needs economic independence, she will never claim her place as long as she is economically dependent on European countries."

@bertje_sa said:

"When African countries are no longer dependant on foreign aid, they will finally be really independent and can choose the role they want to play in the international arena."

@riekvdm said

"He should have added: African countries must reject donations or financial contributions from the West, the East, the North and the ....ouch!"

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@barry_juri said:

"As much as I disagree with Cyril on a million things, this time, he has nailed it."

@2towonder said:

"But he is leading a delegation of how many African leaders to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Do we have another flip-flopper?"

Zimbabwe set to begin drilling for oil and gas

In other news, Briefly News previously reported that Zimbabwe is set to begin drilling for oil following the arrival of the first shipment of drilling equipment in the country.

The drilling of oil and gas was initially supposed to begin in June in the Muzarabani area but was delayed due to custom clearance issues in Tanzania for the drilling rig.

According to SABC News, a seismic survey conducted by an Australian firm called Invictus Energy revealed more potential for oil and gas than previously believed.

Source: Briefly News