wfn.org | AACC - Mvume Dandala Says Africa Must Get Act Together

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All Africa Conference of Churches
Information and Communication Desk
P. O. Box 14205
00800 Westlands
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254 - 020 - 4441483 / 4441338/9
Fax: 254 - 020 - 4443241, 4445835
E-mail: infodesk@aacc-ceta.org
Website: http://www.aacc-ceta.org

AACC NEWSFLASH

October 29th 2003

Africa must get its act together
By Mitch Odero
AACC Information Desk

Africa has all it takes to set up booming manufacturing industries if it 
gets its act together, the General Secretary of the All Africa Conference 
of Churches (AACC) Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala said.

Apart from its wealth in mineral resources "it has no shortage of 
labour.  It is only defective in capital", he said in a speech delivered at 
an ecumenical meeting in Maputo, Mozambique (October 27).

The speech was read on his behalf by AACC's Executive Secretary for 
Ecumenical Relations Dr. Comlan Prosper Deh.  He (Dandala) noted that 
Africa "has the largest known deposits of copper in the world.	Africa's 
diamonds are in large quantities ever found anywhere in the world'.  Africa 
produces one third of the world's chrome ore and one fifth of the world's 
manganese.  The list of its mineral wealth range from cobalt, radium, 
copper, uranium, bauxite, iron, gold, tin, et cetera.  As its geological 
map continues to be surveyed it is getting clearer that Africa has so much 
crude oil in her belly that the world will increasingly turn to Africa for 
its energy needs".

His presentation was read at a meeting of the African Regional Group (ARG) 
which gathers representatives of World Council of Churches, AACC, African 
Sub-regional Fellowships and National Christian Councils.

For Africa to get its act together, he went on, it should not have space 
for "leaders who impose themselves as the sole will of the people" and "who 
cannot tell the difference between national treasury and private vaults".

The General Secretary noted that although Africa was considered as lacking 
in capital "looted African treasurers are keeping foreign banks roaring in 
booming business".

He noted as absurd that despite Africa's wealth in natural resources, water 
and "deep fertile soil in vast quantities, some countries still preferred 
to import bottled water, orange juice, milk and even vegetable salads from 
Europe".

He went on to note that "there is a great deal in the ethics of Africa 
which is still passionately humanistic.  At a time when moral standards are 
falling globally, the African church has an added role of harnessing these 
humanistic ethics for the world."

Meanwhile, Rev. Dandala who is currently on a pastoral visit to Central 
Africa and West Africa held a consultation with President Joseph Kabila of 
the Democratic Republic of Congo last Tuesday (October 21st) on the peace 
process in DRC.

Congolese churches played an effective role in the process through a forum 
- Inter-Congolese Dialogue -- which they created and got the civil society 
aboard.

For further information contact:

Mitch Odero - AACC Information Desk
E-mail:  infodesk@aacc-ceta.org
Tel: 254-020-4441483/4441338/9
Fax: 254-020-4443241/4445835
Our website www.aacc-ceta.org