ACDF urges 15 non-member countries to join body

Meeting the set goals and agenda of the African Capacity Development Foundation (ACDF), have been partly blamed on its shortfall in membership, following the non-commitment of 15 African countries, who are yet to ascend to full membership of the foundation.

This was the position taken, as the 3rd Pan-African Capacity Development forum (CDF3) came to an end at the weekend in Harare, Zimbabwe. The event, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the ACDF, drew participants across governmental representatives, developmental and economic experts, and members of the civil society organizations, non-governmental organisations, academia and regional economic communities.

The event ended on a high note with the message of commitment to Africa. In the words of Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa: “We are committed to seeing Africa succeed,” but many participants, including former executives of the ACDF, lamented non-inclusion a number of African countries, particularly South Africa, in the membership of the body.

However, the secretariat observed that, “while formal membership of South Africa is most desired, the southern African country has been contributing significantly to the ACDF system. The ACDF is the African baby and initiative and there is no reason why any African country should be formally out of it.”

In one of the highlights of the event, Chinamasa urged extra-African donor to exercise restrain in setting agenda for the continent. He alleged that because many African countries were recipients of aid, they were often put into a situation of having to set aside their own priorities in favour of those of development partners.