“I am an African. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the
deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native
land.” – Thabo Mbeki
Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) joins the rest of the African continent in
commemorating and celebrating this year’s Africa Freedom Day, themed “Strengthening
Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent”. We would like
to remind every African of the continued importance of this day, which provides a yearly
opportunity for us to reflect on many different aspects of our livelihoods as we collectively
seek to steer our continent towards greater prosperity and real political, social and
economic emancipation.
In reflecting on this year´s theme, TI-Z would like to remind every African that the fight to
strengthen resilience and food security is a relentless fight, and one that is emblematic of
the wider fight for good governance and the continent´s continued quest for economic
emancipation. We therefore urge African leaders to continually introspect on the roles
they ought to play in driving the continent´s political, social and economic agendas, and
to ensure that they do not betray the collective trust and hopes of the citizens who
elevated them to their positions of prominence in their respective societies.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 Aspiration 3 envisions “an Africa of good governance,
respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law”, while Aspiration 6 envisions “an
Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people,
