Youth empowerment to deepen Ghana – South Africa ties
President Akufo-Addo has said that the driving force behind the renewed relationship between Ghana and South Africa is dependent on the empowerment and development of the youthful population in both countries.
The president said this while delivering a speech at the jubilee house in Accra as he made a toast for a State dinner in honour of the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa to mark his three day visit to Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo argued that as Ghana deepens relations with South Africa, there is an urgent need to ensure that the youth of both countries are the main focus of all efforts to increase trade and economic co-operation between the states.
“I share wholly the vision of the possibilities of enhanced trade and investment relations and co-operation between Ghana and South Africa. It is the most effective way towards building a sustainable future of progress and prosperity for our respective countries and populations, and maintaining a healthy relationship between our two nations,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“For me, one of the essential pillars of our relations must be the mutual nurturing of our young people. They are the ones to inherit the legacy of our current co-operative endeavours. We should work towards preserving and further enriching it,” he said.
According to him, the desire is that Ghana and South Africa pay “closer attention to educational and cultural exchanges between the Ghanaian and South African youth” to enable the two prominent African states deepen understanding between their peoples and “make better use of the strong friendship” they share.
With regards to sports, President Akufo-Addo indicated that it is time for Ghana and South Africa to have “formal relations and co-operation in sports and cultural exchanges”.
In a good-humoured reference to the recent defeat the South African national soccer team suffered at the hands of the Black Stars, which became the subject of litigation between Ghana and South Africa before FIFA, the football world governing body, he said South Africa has a lot to learn from Ghana in soccer, just as Ghana has a great deal to learn from South Africa in rugby.
“I am sure there is much South Africa can learn from Ghana in soccer, where we are obviously your senior brothers, just as Ghana can in rugby, where we are some way away from producing a Siya [Siyamthanda] Kolisi, the great captain of South Africa’s World Cup-winning side,” Akufo-Addo said.
In response, President Ramaphosa, declared that the people of South Africa will never forget the pivotal role Ghana played in the struggle against apartheid.
Today, he said, Africa is facing new challenges that must be confronted with the same vigour and purposefulness that the continent fought for political emancipation.
