WEF Africa 2017: African leaders tasked to do more for their people

With most ordinary people trapped in poverty, leadership in Africa has been blamed for the slow and poor growth process on the continent at this year’s World Economic Forum in Durban.

According to NEPAD Business Foundation Director and former Johannesburg Stock Exchange Chairman Geoff Rothschild, a lot still needs to be done but it will also take a lot from the continent’s leaders.

“Education is important; young people having jobs is tremendously important and we know that there are many unemployed are in the continent and if you have a look at it we have to bear in mind that you got to have sufficient food, you got to have people growing up with dignity, and all those are precursors to be able to bring inclusive growth to the level that we would all like to see it.”

In South Africa for example, the cabinet boasts of a younger generation of political figures recently appointed by the incumbent, Jacob Zuma in a bid to empower a new generation of leaders.

Ayanda Dlodlo, the country’s Minister of Communication said, “So even in government you will see that the president has brought in a younger generation of ministers that are now running the country. “I think with time, all over the continent not just South Africa the older people are going to be faced out of the system and younger people are going to come in.”