OSF challenges African political parties to capitalise on South Africa's G20 Presidency

The Open Society Foundations (OSF) has challenged political parties across Africa to capitalise on South Africa’s G20 Presidency, calling on leaders to intensify their mobilisation for the continent’s growth and development.

The renewed calls for an African agenda to take centre stage at the bloc’s year-long discussions come ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit set to be held in Johannesburg next month.

This marks the first time an African state has hosted the annual meeting since the bloc was founded more than two decades ago.

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The Southern African Liaison Office hosted a G20 dialogue on Tuesday, which included debates by a number of organisations about South Africa’s ability to lead Africa’s interests within the global economic governance framework.

Managing Director at the Open Society Foundations, Brian Kagoro, expressed disappointment with the level of continental engagement thus far.

"I feel that the continent and the SADC neighbours did not come to the party, even if they are not members of the G20. I think the continent, including ECOWAS and EAC, did not come to the party."

Kagoro stated. "It's as though they are waiting for South Africa to blow it so they can say ‘you see’ or they are waiting for Africa to succeed so they can say ‘Africa has done it’.”

However, he added that not all is lost.

“We still have a month, and a month is a lifetime in politics," Kagoro noted. "The idea is not that the G20 is important. It is the political education of the global, economic, and other inequalities that shape and constrain economic self-determination and policy space. So, the real opportunity in the G20 is the political mobilisation.”