Iseyinde indlela yokwakha ubudlelwano obunqala
MHLA zingama-29 kuya zingama-30 kwephezulu kuzobanjwa ingqungquthela ephezulu yesihlanu, phakathi kwe-African Union (AU) kanye ne-European Union (EU), enhlokodoloba yase-Ivory Coast i-Abidjan. Le ngqungquthela ilandela eyaba kuMbasa wezi-2014, eBelgium lapho kwenziwa khona izivumelwano ezithize ikakhulukazi eziqondene nokudlondlobalisa ezohwebo phakathi kwala mazwekazi. Ingqungquthela yokuqala yaba ngonyaka wezi-2000, lapho kwavunyelwana khona ngokuthi lezi ziNhlangano ziyohlangana njalo emuva kweminyaka emithathu, kodwa akuzange kuhambe kanjalo.
Eminyakeni edlule i-EU yafaka unswinyo kuHulumeni waseZimbabwe okwadala ukuthi yale ukuba uMengameli uRobert Mugabe abe yingxenye yale nqgungquthela. Kepha i-AU yama ekutheni alikho izwe eliyilungu layo okungeke livunyelwe ukuba yingxenye yale ngqungquthela. Lokhu kungaboni ngaso linye kwadala ukuthi imihlangano eyaba khona igcine isibizwa nge-Africa-EU; futhi ingabanjwa emuva kweminyaka emithathu njengoba kwakuvunyelwene.
Nayo le yangowezi-2017, icishe yabhekana nezinkinga ngoba iMorocco, okuyizwe lokugcina ukuba yilungu le-AU iveze uvo oluthi, iSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), okunguHulumeni osekudingisweni weWestern Sahara ingamenywa kule ngqungquthela kodwa i-AU yashaya phansi ngonyawo. Ngaphandle kwalezi zihibe, le ngqungquthela ibalulekile ngoba kumele inikeze lezi zinhlangano ithuba lokubuyekeza okwakuvunyelwene ngakho phambilini. Le ngqungquthela yowezi-2017 yenzeka emuva kwezinguquko eziningi kula mazwekazi, futhi sekukhona nabaholi abasha kulezi zinhlangano zombili. Iphinde yenzeke ngesikhathi lapho la mazwekazi ebhekene nezinqginamba eziningi, ezizoba nemthelela ekutheni iba yimpumelelo noma cha. Isibonelo kungaba ukuthi, hhayi njengaphambilini, i-EU iza kule ngqungquthela ibhekene nezinkinga ezifana nokuhoxa kweNgilandi; ukwehluleka nokumelana nesimo sezakhamuzi zase-Afrika okuthiwa zigcwele e-Europe ngokungemthetho; kanye nokuphambana kwemibono ngaphakathi ne-Europe yokuthi kumele silungiswe kanjani lesi simo. Kuphinde kube ukuntenga kobudlelwano kwamanye amalungu e-EU afana neSpain, lapho kukhona isifundazwe esifuna ukuhlubuka kuleli lizwe.
Phezu kwalokho, elinye lamazwe eliyisikhondlakhondla ku- EU iGermany, isabhekene nezinkinga zokwehluleka ukuqoka uHulumeni, emuva kokhetho obelubanjwe ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule. Konke lokhu kwandisa amathuba okuthi kule ngqungquthela, i-AU igcizezele kakhulu izidingo ze-Afrika ukuze lobudlelwano busebenzele ukulungisa kanye nokudaleka kwentuthuko ezwenikazi. Ngamanye amazwi, i-AU kumele igweme ukuba kuhambe phambili izidingo ze-EU kule ngqungquthela. Njengokuthi, ukwanda kwaboHlanga e-Europe akungabi yiyo kuphela into okugxilwa kuyona; noma ukulwa nontamiqinile abafana noBoko Haram, kanye nabanye; kodwa kumele le ngqungquthela iphinde ibhekane ngqo nezinye zezimo ezidala ukuthi ubudlelwano phakathi kwala mazwekazi bube buthaka. Kulokhu, kungabalwa indlela i-EU eqhekeza ngayo izwekazi lase-Afrika ngokuqhubeka nokufuna ukuthi kusayindwe ama-Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) kepha kube kukhona amazwe amaningi ase-Afrika angahambisani nalezi zivumelwano. Le ngqungquthela kuyomele futhi idingide ingxoxompikiswano ekhona phakathi kwe-Europe kanye namazwe abizwa nge-Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (APC), okumele iphothulwe ungakafiki unyaka wezi-2020, ngesivumelwano esisha kwezohwebo. Lezi ngezinye zezidingo ze-Afrika, okumele i-AU iziphakamise kakhulu, kunokuba ilinde ukuthi i-EU kube yiyo ehola izingxoxo ngalokho okubalulekile kuyona.
Le ngqungquthela yesonto elizayo izobanjwa ngaphansi kwengqikithi ethi ‘ukusimama kwekusasa lezwekazi kuncike kakhulu ekwesekeni intsha’. Le ngqikithi, ikhombisa ukuthi le Ngqunguquthela izobhekana nokuthi kungagwenywa kanjani ukuba intsha yase-Afrika, okuyiyo eningi, ilokhu ihlaselwe ububha, ukwentuleka kwamathuba emisebenzi okugcina sekuyiphoqa ukuba ibhace emazweni ase-Europe. Le ngqikithi ibalulekile kakhulu, futhi kuyinto okumele lezi ziNhlangano ziyidingide. Okungagcizelelwa ukuthi indlela engazwakala; okuyiyo engaqeda okuningi okubhekene nentsha ezwenikazi, ukuba amazwekazi afana ne-Europe, kanye nezinhlangano zayo ezinjenge-EU, zipheze ukubeka imithethomgomo edala ukuthi kwentuleke imisebenzi emazweni amaningi ase-Africa. Imithetho efana nokuqhubeka kwamazwe ase-Europe ukweseka ngezimali ezinkulu abalimi emazweni awo ukuze imikhiqizo yabo yande, kepha kube kungelula ukuba amazwe ase-Africa enze njalo; ukuqhubeka nokuphoqa amazwe ase-Africa ukuba asayinde ama-EPAs azoba nemithelela engemihle ezimbonini nomnotho ezwenikazi i-Afrika. Lokhu ngezinye zezinto eziyimisuka yokwentuleka kwamathuba emisebenzi, okugcina sekudala ukuthi intsha yokudabuka e-Afrika igcine isibona kungcono ukuthi izame ukuyofuna impilo engcono e-Europe.
UMnu uSenzo Ngubane, uNgoti ozimele kwezocwaningo lokudala ukubuyisana nokuthula ezwenikazi i-Africa.