President Paul Kagame at Global citizen festival – Johannesburg
President Paul Kagame has portrayed late Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and pan Africanist as an African model worth to emulate.
“South Africa! This evening, I join you to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela. He never gave up on Africa. He believed that Africa’s children can achieve anything,” Kagame said at the Global Citizen Festival in South Africa, Sunday December 2.
“Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100” was organised to mark the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth and honour his legacy, particularly his call to “Be The Generation to End Extreme Poverty.”
Themed “Ensuring Quality Nutrition and Health for All,” the Festival is a Pop and Policy music festival featuring various artists and keynote speakers. The latter include world leaders and private sector players.
Global Citizen is a media and advocacy organisation based in New York that engages young people around the world to achieve progress in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Since 2012, 14,2 million actions by Global Citizens have helped generate commitments and policy announcements from leaders across the world valued at over USD 37.9 billion.
These commitments are set to help improve the lives of more than 2.25 billion people around the globe.
For Kagame, this is Mandela’s legacy that should never be taken for granted.
“It is our responsibility to continue building on his legacy. We must commit to ensuring good nutrition for our children, and eliminating the preventable diseases that threaten Africa’s potential,” the president said.
“We must get the most out of our agriculture and health systems, which hold massive potential to create jobs and prosperity for all.”
On top of this, the president defended what he believes that would make Africa a thriving continent- trading in and with each other.
“As Africans, we also want to move freely around our continent, do business with each other, and build friendships across borders,” Kagame said.
He called upon the youth to be advocates of African change.
Earlier on at a SDG Reception hosted by Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Kagame recognised the hosts for their efforts and commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Kagame said, that the energised network Global Citizen has created, “is a good example of the support that the SDGs continues to attract.”
