Lamola tells Europe: Africa will not be cornered into one bloc

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has told a Pretoria conference on the future of Europe-Africa relations that the two continents must move past shared ambitions into practical cooperation on industrialisation and economic transformation, and that Africa will not accept a partnership that demands it pick a side in a divided world.

“The partnership between Africa and Europe cannot demand allegiance to one bloc or exclusivity. Africa must retain the space to cultivate partnerships with different countries and regions in pursuit of its own interests and development aspirations,” Lamola said in the address on Monday.

He framed the relationship as a compact rather than a donor arrangement. “We are not asking for old-style paternalism. We seek genuine partnership, a compact, based on mutual responsibility and mutual accountability,” he said.

Lamola said the relationship has to be shaped by a changing global order marked by geopolitical rivalry, growing inequality, weakening multilateralism and increasingly transactional international relations. Africa, he said, has historically supplied raw materials that generated prosperity elsewhere while many of its people continue to experience deprivation, and it now needs partnerships that end its economic marginalisation and support structural transformation, including investment in mineral beneficiation, domestic processing and manufacturing.

He put the case to Europe directly. “There is a meeting place between Europe’s pursuit of resilient supply chains and Africa’s ambition to attract investment into mineral exploration, domestic processing and manufacturing industries,” he said, adding that Europe could contribute technology and capital to support beneficiation at source so African countries derive greater value from their own resources.

On the money, Lamola named debt, infrastructure financing, regional integration and Africa’s limited representation in global decision-making as the challenges requiring stronger cooperation. He said 25 African countries have in recent years spent more on debt servicing than on health and education, and that African and other developing countries face borrowing costs estimated at three to six percentage points higher than those of non-African states. He called on longstanding partners to back reform of the international financial architecture, including the newly launched African Credit Rating Agency and proposals for a borrowers’ club.

He cited Africa’s annual infrastructure financing gap of approximately US$170 billion, saying rising borrowing costs and pressure on public finances continue to constrain development, and pointed to the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative as an opening to invest in transport corridors, modern ports and infrastructure connecting African markets. Those investments, he said, should support the continent’s integration priorities and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The gap between the two continents’ internal trade was a centrepiece of the argument. Lamola contrasted intra-European trade, which exceeds 60%, with trade between African countries, which stands at just over 14%.

He also pressed for a stronger African voice in the institutions governing international peace and security, trade and finance, including the United Nations Security Council. “It is not rational that peace on the continent does not receive financial support from the UN Security Council,” he said.

Two warnings carried particular weight. On critical minerals, Lamola said global competition for them risked reproducing historical patterns of exploitation. “If we do not treat the rare minerals issue with respect and prudence, it runs the risk of becoming another ‘scramble for Africa’, with serious negative ramifications for Africa,” he said.

On the European Union’s carbon tax on imports, he raised concerns about consequences for African industries, employment and economic growth. The EU is a significant market for African exports including fertiliser, iron and steel, aluminium and cement, and Lamola said some forecasts suggest the carbon tax could cost Africa as much as US$25 billion in gross domestic product. He called on Europe to balance its low-carbon ambitions with the industrialisation needs of developing economies.

He also cited the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine access restrictions and travel bans that fell disproportionately on African countries as examples of tensions that raised questions about the strength of the partnership.

Cooperation, he said, should extend to migration and mobility, border management and the fight against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime. He pointed to the call by the 2025 African Union-European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola, for “an enhanced and reciprocal partnership for migration and mobility”, and said African countries could benefit from European support for specialised training in financial crime, cybercrime, counter-terrorism, digital forensics and asset recovery.

Disagreement, he argued, should not collapse the relationship. He warned that democratic backsliding, disinformation and growing disillusionment with democratic institutions pose challenges to both continents, and said cooperation becomes more necessary as global power competition intensifies and public trust in institutions weakens.

Africa’s own offer was demographic. “Africa, in turn, brings its own share of prospects. We have a growing population, overwhelmingly young and pulsating with energy, talent and creativity,” he said, adding that the continent wants to create pathways to employment and entrepreneurship rather than remain a supplier of labour and raw materials.

Lamola closed by calling for evidence-based discussion that confronts difficult questions about the future of Africa-Europe relations, quoting the concluding words of Jakkie Cilliers’ book, Africa’s Road to Prosperity, on resilience and patience in navigating global shocks. “These words apply to Africa’s future as much as it does to how our continent relates to Europe and the world,” he said.

The account of the address is carried from SAnews (South African Government News Agency), the government’s own news agency, which published the minister’s remarks. The full text of the speech was not carried in that report. SAnews can be read at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/lamola-calls-equal-africa-europe-partnership-drive-economic-transformation