| JOHANNESBURG--Ten
years ago, South Africa was not even represented
at the World Summit for Sustainable Development
in Rio. This time, they play host. In an interview
with
The Earth Times, Bongiwe Njobe, Director General
of Agriculture for South Africa, expresses great
optimism with the outcomes of the summit and its
significance for South Africa.
Njobe
joined the Department of Agriculture in 1994 and
was apppointed to her present position in 1997. While
Director General, she has been active in the initiation
and implementation phases dealing with Agriculture
and Land Affairs including the Food Security Strategy,
the Land Care Programme, and the Land and Development
Bank Act.
Part
of South Africa's agenda for the summit,
was to "look to play an
active role in the United Nations and
that this was their chance," Njobe
said. She also emphasized the importance
of action and focus. "We were concerned
about having a focused agenda and also
having a very action-oriented program."
When
asked what were some of South Africa's
priorities for
the summit, Njobe described
South Africa's six pack plan: "What
we thought were priority sectors; we
had health, we had agriculture, we had
security, we had energy, we had water
and santitaion, we had technology and
we had education." She expressed
that all these factors were interlinked
and interdependent on each other and
that the essential point of progress
in development of these areas was understanding.
In relation to the summit's specific
agenda, Njobe told The Earth Times "There
is a good overlap between the WEHAB areas
and what we call the South Africa six
pack. And we think that what has not
been included in the WEHAB areas, technology
and education are really kept visible
and in some cases, they are integral."
The
Director General was certainly pleased
that South Africa's
agenda had been acknowledged
and understood. "One country view
in a family of very very powerful nations…for
us to get an overlap of some areas is
really very very good, it's wonderful."
As the summit is hosted in South Africa,
it is hard not to ask how the city's
own development issues have heightened
delegate's awareness, and in turn, influenced
their agendas.
On
this issue, Njobe responded, "Difficult
question because of the concept of cause
and effect. Our reality is like a world
microcosm. And we are grappling with
these things on a day-to-day basis. Maybe
it has been a reality check on the world
by looking at South Africa's own reality,
and that has inspired some of the outcomes"
However,
Njobe does not diminish the importance
of institutional
structures."But
I would want to believe that it is the
system itself that deals with the issues
that should determine what emerges..because
all the analysis and processes that have
happened since Rio that should have been
forming and I think having been the focus
of the isntitutional progress."
She suggests that perhaps the larger
influence on South Africa as host is
evident in the number of partnership
invitations that they have received.
These have included an invitation from
the European Union to join in an EU/Africa
Water Initiative; Global Village Energy
Partnership (GVEP), a UNDP/World Bank
initiative; New Rice for Africa, one
of the first NEPAD agricultural projects
initiated by Japan and West African governments.
Pointing
to her traditional beaded belt, Njobe
talked about South
Africa's approach
to sustainable development, "I swore
that I would never have worn this belt;
it is so traditional. But you suddenly
find that women from traditional towns
have reincarnated traditional beads.
And I think that's what we are about:
we seemed to have pulled an immense amount
of energy in order to deal with the problems
that we have-we think big."
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