Former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, has urged African leaders to take full ownership of the implementation of national and continental policies as a crucial step toward addressing the continent’s pressing challenges and achieving the development goals envisioned for Africa.
Delivering the keynote address at the Africa Day Lecture on May 24, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, President Mbeki emphasized that meaningful progress depends on consistent and inclusive policy execution across all levels of leadership.
The event was organized by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre.
In his remarks, President Mbeki underlined the responsibility of the current generation in continuing the work of Africa’s founding fathers, who laid the foundation for a united, self-reliant, and prosperous continent.
“As we commemorate Africa Day each year on May 25, it is not enough to merely celebrate. We must confront the realities of our continent—the struggles, the policies we have crafted, and the progress we seek,” Mbeki said.
“We have adopted many visionary policies for Africa’s future, but the real challenge lies in implementation. Too few are taking the lead. To truly celebrate Africa Day, we must first reflect on Africa itself.”he added
President Mbeki also took the opportunity to commend the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, for hosting the 2025 edition of the Africa Day Lecture.
He praised Tanzania’s long-standing commitment to African unity and visionary leadership on the continent.
He further noted that, besides South Africa, Tanzania is the only country on the continent to have hosted the Africa Day Lecture three times—an indication of its consistent dedication to Pan-African ideals.