Izogqugquzelela ezohwebo ingqungquthela ye-AU
Intaka ibekelwe amazolo kwiNhlokodolobha yase Ethiopia i-Addis Ababa kule mpelasonto lapho kulindeleke ukuba i-African Union (AU) ibambe ingqungquthela ephezulu yoMengameli yokuvula unyaka, ngaphansi kweNgqikithi ethi “unyaka we-AfCFTA: Ukusheshiswa Kokuqaliswa Kokuhwebelana Ngokukhululekile Ezwenikazi i-Afrika”. Lengqungquthela iza ngemuva kochungechunge lwemihlangano yezinhlaka neminyango eyahlukene ye-AU efana nowamaNxusa awo wonke amazwe angamalungu aleNhlangano owabanjwa ziyi-16 kuMasingana, wase ulandelewa ngowoNgqongqoshe Bezangaphandle obubanjwe kusukela ziyi-15 kuNhlolanja.
IKhomishana ye-AU iveze ukuthi leNgqikithi yalo nyaka “ihlose ukuqinisa ukuzibophezela kwabezepolitiki ukuthi eyohwebo iwuhlelo lomsebenzi wokuletha intukutho e-Afrika”. Le Khomishana iqhubeke yathi, “kuhloswe ngayo ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza ngokubambisana nazo zonke izinhlaka ezifanele kanye nemiNyango ekhethekile yale Nhlangano Yamazwe ase-Afrika, nokuyinto ehambisana nentshisekelo yokuthi kuphuthunywe ukuqaliswa kwe-AfCFTA ukuze kuhlomule izakhamuzi zase-Afrika.” Eyokubaluleka kwale Ngqikithi ayidinge kunabelwa, kunalokho asithembe ukuthi oMengameli bamazwe nabo bazoyithathathela phezulu ngokuthi bathamele leNgqungquthela ngobuninbi babo. Lokhu sikushiso ukuthi, sekuvamile ukuthi ukuthi iziNgqungquthela ze-AU zingathanyelwa yibo bonke oMengamameli bamazwe, kepha uma bemenywe kwamanye amazwe baphume ngobuningi babo, Isibonelo salokhu, umhlangano owawubizwe uMengameli wase-United States of America (USA) kuZibandlela yanyeke nowahanjelwa yibo bonke Omengameli ababemenyiwe. Nalapho babengaqali, neminye imihlangano ebizwa amazwe anjengeRussia, iFrance, iChina, izithola ihanjelwa oMengameli abakade bagcina ukulibhada ‘komkhulu’ e-Addis Ababa.
Emveni kokuba yasungulwa i-African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) yaqala ukusebenza zi-30 kuNhlaba we-2019 emveni kokuba amazwe angama-24 angamalungu e-AU asayinda isivumelwano sokuba yingxenye yalolu hlelo. Kukhulunywa nje namuhla angama-54 amalungu e-AU asesayinde isivumelwano salolu hlelo, elisengaphandle yi-Eritrea. Isivumelwano sokusungula i-AfCFTA saqopha umlando ngokuba ngesokuqala kwizivumelwano ezithize nezahlukene ze-AU, ukuthi sesekwe ngamazwe amaningi kungakapholi maseko. Lesi kwaba ngesinye sezinyathelo ezathakaselwa kakhulu ngoba sithathwa njengesiyinkomba yokuvuseleleka kwentshisekelo ye-Afrika ebumbene, nokwakukhombisa ukuthi abaholi bamazwe sebeyayiqonda eyokuthi ngaphandle kwentuthuko angeke kube nokuthula ezwenikazi, nokuthi lentuthuko angeke idaleke uma amazwe ase-Afrika engabambisene.
Ukuhwebelana kwamazwe ase-Afrika okwamanje kuphansi ngendlela eyisimanga, njengoba kumi ku-14.4% wesamba esithengisiwe sase-Afrika. Ucwaningo olwenziwa yi-United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) lulinganisela ukuthi i-AfCFTA ingase ikhulise ukuhwebelana kwamazwe ase-Afrika cishe ngama-33% futhi yehlise ukushoda kwezohwebo kwezwekazi ngama-51%. Lolu cwaningo lwe-UNCTAD luphinde lwexwayise ngokuthi izinqubomgomo zohwebo zizodwa, alufiphi amathuba okuthi zisekele ukukhula komnotho okubandakanya zonke izakhamuzi ezwenikazi. Yingakho ke, ezinye izinyathelo ezidingekayo zihlanganisa ukubambisana ekukhuthazeni izinqubomgomo zokutshalwa kwezimali, ukuxhaswa ngezimali kwengqalasizinda nezokwandisa futhi yelekelele ukuxhumana kwezindawo zasemakhaya nezasemadolobheni kwezowhebo, kanye nokuhlinzeka ngokufinyelela okulinganayo emathubeni ezenhlalo-mnotho kanye nezinsiza ezikhiqizayo.
Kuvamile ukuba kuthiwe i-Afrika iyizwezaki elinezinselelo eziningi, nokudala ukuthi amathuba akhona ngakwezomnotho nezohwebo kugcine kuyinto engabonwa. Ukugqugquzela kokuqaliswa kwe-AfCFTA kumele kuthathwe njengengxenye yemizamo yokuguqula indlela leli zwekazi elithathwa ngayo ngakwezohwebo. Enye yezindlela yokuguqula lesimo ukuthi eyokuqaliswa kwe-AfCFTA kungabi sezandleni zosopolitiki base-Afrika kuphela, ngoba ingagcina ingayi ndawo. Noma ngabe kuyibo abaqinisekisa ukuthi baphuthumise ukusayina isivumelwano sokusungula i-AfCFTA, lokho akuchazi ukuthi bazoyisukumela baphinde bayimele ngokugcwele eyokulandela yonke imigomo ezomiswa yile-AfCFTA ngakwezohwebo. Noma bengakwenza lokho asikho isiqiniseko sokuthi bazogxila ngokuzimisela ekuthuthukiseni imikhakha nezimboni ezidinga ukwesekwa ezifana nezisezindaweni ezisemakhaya nezisafufusa emazweni ehlukene.
Ngakho ke, kulele kwizakhamuzi emazweni ehlukene ukufaka ingcindezi kubaholi ukuba balumele lolu hlelo. Izikhungo zokuxhumana nazo kumele zihlakule eyayo indima ngokuthi zingaphezi ukushicilela nokuhlaziya ngokwenzekayo nokwenziwayo yi-AfCTA ukufeza injongo yokwakha i-Afrika ebumbene nangakwezomnotho. Le Ngqikithi yalo nyaka yandisa amathuba okuthi i-AfCTA ibhekisiswe futhi ilandeliswe yizo zonke izinhlaka ezikhona emazweni ase-Afrika.
UMnu Senzo Ngubane, uNgoti kwezocwaningo lokudala ukubuyisana nokuthula ezwenikazi i-Afrika
