Thabo Mbeki: A Season of Hope for Africa

The shared heritage of Bandung

In a 2005 speech at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, then South African president Thabo Mbeki advocated a stronger and more ambitious partnership between Africa and Asia, inspired by the Bandung Conference which, fifty years earlier, had affirmed the historic solidarity of Afro-Asian nations.

He stressed the similarities between the two continents, both marked by decades of colonisation by the same Western powers, the loss of freedom and the rejection of local culture. This sufficiently shared history could become the foundation of renewed cooperation between Asia and Africa.

Racism, domination and collective liberation

Drawing on historian Basil Davidson, Mbeki recalled painful episodes and above all racism, which was not merely an error of judgement but an instrument of systematic domination designed to justify slavery and the exploitation of African peoples.

He restored the Bandung Conference to prominence as a crucial turning point for colonised peoples, laying the foundations of collective mobilisation for liberation. This dynamic is essential to a genuinely equitable Afro-Asian partnership.

Reconciling modernity and local realities

Learning from history, Mbeki advocated a development model attentive to the continent’s cultural and historical characteristics. Citing Mahmood Mamdani, he underlined Africa’s need to balance modernity with respect for local communities.

Rather than remain trapped in an opposition between tradition and modernity, African countries must build democratic institutions rooted in local realities while preparing for the demands of modernity. Such a model would enable Africa to affirm its identity and develop autonomously.

Rejecting externally imposed development

Mbeki criticised development programmes often imposed on Africa from outside. Even when well intentioned, they are frequently unsuitable because they are designed without genuine consultation with Africans.

These initiatives have entrenched dependence on foreign funding and solutions and reduced African states’ capacity to think through their own development.

Learning from Asia

Despite similar colonial histories, several Asian countries rapidly escaped poverty because they developed strategies suited to their priorities while resisting outside pressure. Africa, by contrast, has struggled to resist exogenous programmes and free itself from dependence, making sustainable economic transformation harder.

African initiatives and responsibility

Mbeki called on African leaders to draw inspiration from Asia’s endogenous development strategies. Africa had already begun this journey through the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

The AU, which replaced the Organisation of African Unity, seeks to promote peace, democracy, human rights and development. NEPAD represents African leaders’ concrete commitment to eradicate poverty and foster sustainable development while learning from the past.