South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned yesterday that Africans are no longer willing to bear the cost of Western countries’ development, pointing out that the continent is heating up faster than others.
“Africa is warming more than any other continent, 17 of the 20 worst spots in terms of global warming are in Africa; we are the least responsible for global warming, but we carry the greatest burden,” said the South African head of state at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, which is taking place this week in New York.
“Centuries after slaves, decades after colonial exploitation, the people of the African continent continue to bear the cost of northern industrialisation and the development of wealthier nations, but that is a price Africans are no longer willing to pay,” said the President of South Africa, the leader of the most industrialised nation in sub-Saharan Africa.
In his speech, PR regretted that many northern nations count among their assets the mineral wealth that lies beneath African soil, and assured that this wealth “must benefit Africans”.
Ramaphosa also defended women’s rights and, emphasising the majority of men present in the assembly, exclaimed: “Where are the women of the world? They should be here, in this room, in a position of leadership.”
In the part of his speech dedicated to global warming, one of the main problems facing the continent, the South African head of state also emphasised the need for “more financial support” and defended the need to invest 500 billion dollars a year in mitigating and adapting to climate change on the continent, otherwise the world will fail to meet its global environmental commitments.
MZNEWS
