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I saw an article a few days ago, written by Michelle De Freese, for The World Post. The article reminds us that the African Union (AU) and its member states intend to implement a Visa-Free policy by 2018.
The intentions behind this policy are to promote intra-regional trade, economic development and regional integration; also to “encourage incentives through the removal of trade barriers, increased tourism …., investment opportunities and job creation”, no doubt following the lead of the European Union (EU) which was almost 70 years in the making and remains a work in progress. The AU began its stumbling journey in 2002. Although it has identified some worthy goals, I remain unconvinced. The envisaged “visa-free” policy is not absolutely visa-free, because visas will be issued upon arrival in destination countries. By 2018 citizens of African countries will receive a minimum 30-day visa. By 2020 a single African passport is the AU goal. African states have collectively turned the EU’s initial roadmap on its head by seeking to implement a visa-free policy in order to facilitate or promote integration. The European experience demonstrates very clearly that many of its key policies were implemented only after individual states had earned the right to be part of a greater Union, which they qualified for through the existence of a number of factors that made integration feasible and viable. For example, intra-state travel and tourism, intra-state communication (telephonic and mail traffic), common interests, values and goals, strategic interests, historical alliances and intra-state trade were factors that made an envisaged Union of European states both desirable and necessary. Africa is therefore effectively putting the cart before the horse. In effect, whereas Europe decided that 2 + 2 = 4, Africa has decided that 4 = 2 + 2, a view that fails to note some alternative choices such as 4 = 3 + 1. or 4 = 5-1 or a whole range of other possibilities. Okay, this is only an analogy, but you get the point. Africa’s intention to implement a visa-free possibility, as with the implementation of other AU policies, is fraught with difficulty and some obvious dangers. For example, what impact will a visa-free policy have on employment in African countries of destination, where high employment exists, or countries of origin where there are skills shortages? What about medical tourism that would deprive citizens of countries like South Africa of easy access to their own public health resources? What about the many relatively poor and unskilled visitors who would come to seek a better life, drawn like moths to the lights of South African cities, and who might then become illegal immigrants? Should Africa not first create the infrastructure to facilitate intra-African trade and tourism (roads and rail links) before impulsively, impatiently and foolishly pursuing goals that create more problems than solutions at this relatively early stage of AU development? Please do not mistake my intent. I am not against the African Union or the concept of African integration, despite obvious divisive factors such as religion, language, ethnicity, governmental structures and political ideology. History teaches us that impulsive and quick fixes have little or no chance of success. The best policies are those that consider both potential advantages and likely disadvantages. Also take note that good fortune usually favours those who pursue their objectives with grim determination; and not those who merely assume they deserve to be successful. The example of the tortoise and the hare is a good one, because in the well-known children’s tale about a race between these two unlikely competitors, the plodding and tenaciously focused tortoise ultimately beat the over-confident hare. African Union decision makers require a range of alternatives for effective decision making and policy implementation. They also need to exercise patience. Effective decision making cannot take place in the absence of proper well-considered preparation for success. The EU took seven decades to get this far and is still an imperfect Union as recently demonstrated by “Brexit” and Switzerland’s decision to withdraw its application for membership. In addition, Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has been waiting a very long time for EU membership. Economic growth and security from terrorism are critical requirements for African states in the current climate of international economic fragility and the real possibility of further terrorist attacks on African soil, Therefore, Africa needs to re-think its priorities and the timing of the policies it wants to implement. That’s my view and whether you agree or disagree, please let me know what you think. I’d be glad to hear from you. Best regards, Duke Kent-Brown p.s. Want a sample of the first 4 chapters of my new book “Hail to the Chief”? Contact me and request the sample via my Contact Form.
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