Namibia on Monday joined the rest of the continent and the global African family in commemorating Africa Day, with renewed calls for unity, self-reliance and collective action in addressing the continent’s challenges.
Africa Day commemorates the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 25 May 1963, now known as the African Union.
The day also recognises the sacrifices and solidarity of African liberation movements and leaders who believed that the continent’s freedom and prosperity could only be achieved through unity.
In commemorating the day, president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah referenced Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who in 1957 declared that Ghana’s independence would be meaningless unless linked to the total liberation of Africa.
She says more than six decades later, African countries continue to face economic disruptions, climate change, disease outbreaks and geopolitical uncertainty.
“These global pressures continue to expose the vulnerabilities of developing nations dependent on external systems and solutions.
“Calls were made for African countries to strengthen regional cooperation, deepen intra African trade, invest in local institutions and support innovation to unlock the continent’s potential,” she says.
She pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area as an opportunity to improve regional value chains, reduce overdependence on foreign markets and strengthen economic integration.
Nandi-Ndaitwah says this year’s Africa Day theme, ‘Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063’, emphasises the importance of water and sanitation in achieving development, public health and economic stability.
She reaffirms the government’s commitment to improving access to potable water and sanitation under the country’s sixth National Development Plan.
She urges citizens, communities and institutions to protect and preserve water resources for future generations.
