Is AfCFTA a myth or a reality?

'Morten Bøås argues that African integration schemes have been detached from African reality, and in order to gain credibility integration organisations should be reattached to the real dynamic forces of the African economy, which according to Bøås can be found among the entrepreneurs of the informal sector (Bøås 2001, 37). This is a powerful statement which can make or break #AfCFTA. Until Africa understands that her people are in the periphery of her economies, all regional initiatives will remain foreign to the people of Africa.

The existence of any regional integration initiative is to create the sense of regionalism and ownership of the process. The ideal epitomisation of the African Agenda 2063 was to have a self-sufficient and self-reliant continent resulting in the empowerment of its citizens. This is stemming from the Lagos Platform of Action of 1981 which sought to reduce Africa dependence on the West and industrialise the continent. Is the Pan African ideology central to the establishment of the AfCFTA which seems to have been hijacked in terms of goals and modus operandus   to the Africa we want vision. The best Africans can do to themselves is not the creation of an institution which will not address the concerns of its people. It is about integrating its people

 There is no need to pressurise the African economies to follow the European model of integration as the background and nature of economies are totally different and this calls for the advancement of what I shall call African regional integration. This integration model should first recognise the importance of the informal economy and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in African countries and find means and mechanisms to integrate them across borders. In Africa it’s not about creating a larger market but it is all about making the Africans visible in cross border transactions which have remained in the hands of few well established multinational corporations (MNCs). I like the MNCs but they seem to discredit the SMEs and the informal sector resulting in them influencing African policy makers to negatively view these economies as foes rather than friends. It is disheartening to note that researches have pointed to the importance of the informal sector to Africa without any policy initiatives being formulated to promote their growth.

The questions which need to be answered include, what is Africa regional integration? What defines intra African trade? If AfCFTA is to survive were other regional economic communities (RECs) have failed there is need to define an African good which will constitute an increase in Africa intra-regional trade. The identification of the African goods and services will be an answer to the Pan African vision of our founders of the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) for an integrated Africa. This generation should not stand on the way of the former African founders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius M. Nyerere by quickly adopting a project which continuously alienates the African people from the core of economic emancipation.   The surge in  researches praising the AfCFTA  have been done to validate the victory of capitalism and neoliberal policies which are funded by the Bretton wood institutions and other pro neoliberal international development agencies.

Until Africa agrees that all current regional initiatives are exclusive to the powerful MNCs and the majority of Africa people have remained in the peripheries of the African economies no sustainable development will take place. This AfCFTA will become a tool for advancing the hegemony of capitalism and make sure there no hindrances to the movement of MNCs capital and investments across the African borders. It will contribute to the eradication of the SMEs and informal economy which have remained a source of livelihood especially the women and the youth. When shall the informal cross-border trading (ICBT) be discussed at continental level and ways to support it be proposed? The issue is not about eradicating ICBT, it is about ensuring that the informal vis-a-vi formal discourse has been expounded to ensure. This will result in the expansion of the definition of the formal sector to incorporate and recognises the activities previously regarded as informal. It is my belief that most of these activities classified as informal aren’t informal as such but it’s the continued negative labelling that has hindered their growth. Allow the Africans for once to shape their future with minimum external influence. If AfCFTA is to succeed it has to be African in all aspects and dimensions. It has to be founded on the principles of an independent African state which has industrialised and can now trade among itself.  I remain unconvinced about the over celebrated AfCFTA I will regard as just an additional creation of the African Union. I rest my case.

 

Levious Chiukira

levious@gmail.com

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