South African President Jacob Zuma has accepted a Constitutional Court judgment declaring that it was unconstitutional for him to extend now-outgoing Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo's term of office.

The press release issued from the office of the South African presidency detailed that," The Presidency accepts and respects the judgement of the Constitutional Court in relation to the unconstitutionality and invalidity of Section 8 (a) of the Judges' Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act of 2001 and will abide by it. The law was valid until today's judgement, and government will now study the ruling to see what directives the Constitutional Court is giving to Parliament for remedial action. vThe President has begun the process of appointing a new Chief Justice and will do so in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Constitution of the Republic."

A South African newspaper reported that, " The Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that it was unconstitutional for President Jacob Zuma to extend now-outgoing Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo's term of office. The judgment was unanimous.

The court declared Section 8a of the Judges Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act -- in terms of which Zuma extended Ngcobo's term -- unconstitutional.

The court found that the section allowed the president to "usurp" the power of Parliament and held that Parliament alone had the power to extend a Constitutional Court judge's term of office. Zuma and the Justice Minister were ordered to pay costs.

It was announced on Wednesday that Ngcobo had decided to withdraw his acceptance of Zuma's extension, which leaves the post of chief justice open from August 15 should a replacement not be found by then.

The application against the way Zuma offered Ngcobo an extended term was brought by the Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution, Freedom under Law, the Justice Alliance of SA and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies."

JOHANNESBURG, July 8 (Reuters) - Tata Motors (TAMO.BO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), India's largest vehicle maker, is looking to set up a vehicle assembly unit in South Africa later this month, the company said on Friday.

"The ... assembly plant in South Africa has been in the planning for a while, and we are at a point that this has now come to fruition," Tata spokesman Debasis Ray said.

He said more details would follow at a formal launch on July 22.

The report comes at a time when demand for new vehicles in South Africa appears to be rising.

Michelle Obama Does Push-Ups With Archbishop Tutu in SA

U.S First Lady Michelle Obama ended her week-long visit to South Africa by meeting the Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu - and getting a bit of a workout. They visited the famous Cape Town Stadium in which some of the 2010 World Cup games were played, where the First Lady encouraged young people to protect themselves against HIV/Aids and use sport to stay healthy.

Earlier U.S First Lady Michelle Obama visited the former President Nelson Mandela and his wife lady Graca Machel, the former Mozambican first lady at their home in Houghton. She also visited Mandela’s charitable foundation and Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township, Johannesburg.

"You are VS - very special people," said Tutu in his cheery voice soon after he stepped into the room filled with young people and the media. He encouraged the youth to reach for the stars so that they can be anything they want to be in life.The First Lady began her speech by joking with the Archbishop: "You are also a special person". Obama backed Tutu's words by telling them that one has to be a "VHP" - very healthy person - to inspire very special people.

US First Lady Michelle Obama and her childrenwith Nelson Mandela, at this home, in Houghton SA.

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama does push-ups with Archbishop Desmond Tutu   photo:Reuters

Then she participated in the sporting activities. She dribbled the ball and did push-ups on the floor beside with the Arch while the children cheerfully shouted out president Obama's famous election slogan, "Yes we can!" Former Bafana Bafana soccer star Mathew Booth was also present at the function. He said he was invited by the group Grassroots Soccer to take part in the project that educates, inspires and mobilizes the youth through soccer. "Meeting both Desmond Tutu and Michelle Obama is beyond what words can explain," he said.

Associate Press reported, "Michelle Obama kicked soccer balls Thursday with former Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and flexed her biceps doing push-ups alongside him as she closed out a goodwill visit to South Africa and prepared to head for neighboring Botswana. She also visited a museum that documents the forced segregation of a once racially mixed area of this coastal city. Obama and family members traveling with her, including daughters Malia and Sasha, met Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a leader in South Africa's fight for racial equality, at the new Cape Town Stadium where the World Cup soccer tournament was held last year. She also received briefings from several HIV/AIDS prevention organizations,including some that use the discipline of soccer to teach kids about the disease.

In remarks before the soccer drills and calisthenics, the first lady urged dozens of kids to make safe, healthy choices. HIV/AIDS is a serious challenge to South Africa, where between 5 million and 6 million live with the disease in a country of just under 50 million. An estimated 17 percent of adult South Africans are infected.

"It's hard to have an impact if you're not in the best condition possible," she said. Her morning visit to the District Six Museum replaced a long-planned ferry ride to Robben Island that was canceled at the last minute due to high winds that made the Atlantic Ocean waters too treacherous to cross."

Picture News of Poor south Africans

"When stories are told about African poverty, race often seems to play a large part. Based in Senegal, Reuters photographer Finbarr O'Reilly (previously featured here for his work in DR Congo) traveled to South Africa earlier this year and visited one of a growing number of squatter camps populated mostly by Afrikaners - white South Africans - to document their stories and help show that, despite the fact that impoverished blacks in the region far outnumber whites, poverty is a human issue, not necessarily racial. O'Reilly: "While most white South Africans still enjoy lives of privilege and relative wealth, the number of poor whites has risen steadily over the past 15 years. Researchers now estimate some 450,000 whites, of a total white population of 4.5 million, live below the poverty line and 100,000 are struggling just to survive in places such Coronation Park, a former caravan camp currently home to more than 400 white squatters. Formerly comfortable Afrikaners recently forced to live on the fringes of society see themselves as victims of 'reverse-apartheid' that they say puts them at an even greater disadvantage than the millions of poor black South Africans." (

- Poverty stricken whites of South Africa By gbooza.com

Africa is bidding to host Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

Africa is bidding to host the world's most powerful radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). When constructed, in 2025, it will have 50 times greater sensitivity than any other radio telescope on Earth. The SKA will probe the edges of our universe, even before the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. This telescope will contribute to answering fundamental questions in astronomy, physics and cosmology, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

South Africa is leading the African bid and has already legislated to create 12.5 million hectares of protected area - or radio astronomy reserve. This area is also referred to as the Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Area, offering low levels of radio frequency interference, very little light pollution, basic infrastructure of roads, electricity and ommunication.The human story began in Africa and it can also be the place where we find answersto the story of our universe.

Following an initial identification of sites suitable for the SKA by the International SKA Steering Committee in 2006, southern Africa and Australia are the finalists. A consortium of the major international science funding agencies, in consultation with the SKA Science and Engineering Committee (SSEC), will announce the selected site for the SKA in 2012.

At about 50 – 100 times more sensitive than any other radio telescope on Earth, the SKA will be able to probe the edges of our Universe. It will help us to answer fundamental questions in astronomy, physics and cosmology, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter. It will be a powerful time machine that scientists will use to go back in time to explore the origins of the first galaxies, stars and planets.

The construction of the SKA is expected to cost about 1.5 billion Euro. The operations and maintenance of a large telescope normally cost about 10% of the capital costs per year. That means the international SKA consortium would be spending approximately 100 to 150 million Euro per year on the telescope. It is expected that a significant portion of the capital, operations and maintenance costs would be spent in the host country. South Africa offers a competitive and affordable solution for constructing, operating and maintaining the SKA.

South Africa has already demonstrated its excellent science and engineering skills by designing and starting to build the MeerKAT telescope – as a pathfinder to the SKA. The first seven dishes, KAT-7, are complete and have already produced its first pictures. MeerKAT is attracting great interest internationally – more than 500 international astronomers and 58 from Africa submitted proposals to do science with MeerKAT once it is complete.

If Africa wins the SKA bid, the core of this giant telescope will be constructed in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape Province near to the towns of Carnarvon and Williston, linked to a computing facility in Cape Town. Other countries where stations will be placed include Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and Zambia.

Africa needs science and science needs Africa. After all, Africa is the home of humankind and the place where technology and intellectual activity first developed. Simon Ratcliffe, an astronomer and a member of the South African SKA bid team predicts, "Young people interested in astronomy and that might work on this project in future, are destined to become experts in future technologies that will be in high demand around the globe."

For More Infromation

Mr. Rod Marcel

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http://skaafrica.com/

F W de Klerk's views on 'Conversations with Myself' by Nelson Mandela

All autobiographies are contrived by their authors to present themselves as they would like to seen by subsequent generations.  Collections of contemporary writings and notes are often more revealing because they were not written with the intention of creating this or that historic impression.   For this reason I found Nelson Mandela’s recently published ‘Conversations with Myself’ more revealing of the man than his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom” - and in many respects more moving as well.

The book is a relatively unstructured collection of extracts from Mandela’s correspondence,  unpublished writings, interviews and items jotted down in his old Satour Calendars.   The collection includes numerous reproductions from notebooks and correspondence in Mandela’s bold, rounded and confident handwriting - which changes little over the decades of resistance, imprisonment and, finally,  vindication.

Early extracts point to the foundation of Nelson Mandela’s political persona in Xhosa traditional institutions:

“Western civilisation has not entirely rubbed off my African background and I have not forgotten the days of my childhood when we used to gather round community elders to listen to their wealth of wisdom and experience.  That was the custom of our forefathers and the traditional school in which we were brought up.”

They also point to his subsequent political development - including his attitude to communism.  In response to a question whether his attendance of communist party meetings did not make him sympathetic to communism, he replied

“No,  no,  no , no, no, no.  … No it was interesting.  I wouldn’t say it was liberating. And that is why I attacked the Communists, you see, when I became involved politically.  And I didn’t think it was liberating.  I thought Marxism was something that actually was subjecting us to a foreign ideology.”

The extracts clearly reveal that Mandela was one of the leading proponents for armed struggle - against the objections and traditions of the ANC leadership of the time:

The Chief Albert Luthuli, Yengwa and others opposed this (the armed struggle) very strongly.  So we knew of course that we were going to get a position from the Chief, because he believed in non-violence as a principle, whereas we believed in it as a tactic…”

Although there can be no doubt regarding the frustrations experienced by young militant ANC members at that time, I believe that Mandela’s decision to opt for armed struggle was wrong both in principle and tactically.   The armed struggle  had limited military significance - but it did escalate the conflict to another level and inevitably resulted in greater bitterness, recrimination and loss of life on all sides.

Mandela’s decision also led inexorably to his own arrest and trial in which he and his co-defendants expected that they would be sentenced to death.

Mandela lived - but faced with equanimity and courage the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.   His writings nevertheless reveal the anguish that he experienced in being separated from his family:

“I have often wondered whether a person is justified in neglecting his own family to fight for opportunities for others.  Can there be anything more important than looking after your mother approaching the age of 60, building her a dream house, giving her good food, nice clothing and all one’s love?”

Mandela eloquently expressed his thoughts when his son was killed in a car accident in 1969:

“The blow had been equally grievous to me.  In addition to the fact that I had not seen him for at least sixty months, I was neither privileged to give him a wedding ceremony nor to lay him to rest when the fatal hour had struck….All these expectations have now been completely shattered for he was taken away at the early age of 24 and we will never see him again.”

In a letter to his wife Winnie in June, 1969, Mandela expresses his views on the indomitable spirit of the true revolutionary:

“Honour belongs to those who never forsake the truth even when things seem dark and grim, who try over and over again, who are never discouraged by insults, humiliation and even defeat.”

This was more than lip service.  In December, 1984, he firmly rejected the prospect of early release when his close relative Kaiser Matanzima offered him refuge in the Transkei.  Instead, he resigned himself to the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison:

“The ideals which we cherish, our fondest dreams and fervent hopes may not be realised in our lifetime. But that is besides the point.  The knowledge that in your day you did your duty, and lived up to the expectations of your fellow men is in itself a rewarding experience and magnificent achievement.”

As we all know, Mandela’s courage and faith were eventually fully recognised  in 1990 when he was released from prison to play a leading role in the negotiations for a non-racial constitutional democracy.  During the negotiations, our relations were frequently placed under enormous strain by continuing faceless violence.  Mandela did not hesitate to charge me with complicity in the violence - and I always wondered whether this was a reflection of his actual views - or whether he was simply playing to the political gallery.  The extracts from his book indicate that he really thought that the government was, at the very least, doing nothing to stop the violence:

“My experience and that of my comrades in the ANC is that the De Klerk government shows no will at all, of wanting to adequately deal with this crucial problem.”

Mandela launched a vitriolic attack on me after the Boipatong massacre in which he claimed that the ‘unprovoked slaughter of innocent people’ was part of a government plan.  The TRC’s Amnesty Committee subsequently found that IFP hostel dwellers had acted alone and that there had been no government involvement.  Naturally, I never received an apology.

I find Mandela’s views on violence somewhat disingenuous.  He must have known of the ANC’s own deep involvement in the mini civil war against the IFP which accounted for the greatest proportion of the deaths.  He must also have understood the enormous risks that the ANC took in June 1992 when it decided to abandon the CODESA negotiations and sought instead to bring about the collapse of the government through rolling mass action - in what became known as the Leipzig Option.  To his credit, it was Mandela who led his comrades back to the negotiating table after the Bisho massacre

Notwithstanding any criticism one might have, the man who emerges from  ‘Conversations with Myself’ is, by any measure, a towering figure, not only in South African history but in the history of the twentieth century.  He went on as President to play an exemplary role in uniting and reconciling South Africa’s deeply divided people.

About FW de Klerk

FW de Klerk, the last white president of South Africa, is presently is the founder and chairman of FW de Klerk Foundation.

Frederik Willem (F W) de Klerk was born in Johannesburg on 18 March 1936.  After graduating from the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education in 1958, he spent 12 years as an attorney in Vereeniging before taking the decision to enter active politics. In November 1972 he was elected as Member of Parliament for Vereeniging.

In 1978 Mr De Klerk was appointed to the Cabinet.  During the following 11 years he was responsible for numerous portfolios including Mineral and Energy Affairs, Internal Affairs and National Education.  He was elected leader of the National Party in the Transvaal in 1982.  In July 1985 he became Chairman of the Minister’s Council in the House of Assembly and in December 1986 Leader of the House of Assembly.

After his election as State President in September 1989, he initiated and presided over the inclusive negotiations that led to the dismantling of “apartheid” and the adoption of South Africa’s first fully democratic constitution in December 1993.  After South Africa’s first fully representative general election of 27 April 1994 Mr De Klerk became one of South Africa’s two Executive Deputy Presidents in which capacity he served until 1996 when his Party decided to withdraw from the Government of National Unity.  He was Leader of the Official Opposition until his retirement from active party politics in 1997.

Today, Mr De Klerk continues to work actively on the promotion of harmonious relations in multi-communal societies, the future of Africa and South Africa and the challenges facing the world today. In 1999 he established the F W de Klerk Foundation, and in 2004, he brought together a number of respected former national leaders to join him as founding members of GLF Global Leadership Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to play a constructive role in the promotion of peace, democracy and development in countries across the world.  In addition, he holds positions at the Prague Society for International Co-operation, the Assembly of the Parliament of Cultures and the think-tank Forum 2000 as well as serving on the advisory boards of the Peres Centre for Peace in Israel and the Global Panel in Germany.

Mr De Klerk has been awarded numerous honours, among them the Prix du Courage Internationale (1992) and, together with Mr Mandela, both the UNESCO Houphouet-Boigny Prize (1992) and the Nobel Peace Prize (1993).

source: Website of the FW de Klerk Foundation

South Africa is qualify to be in BRIC

Summary: Jim O’Neill, Chairman Goldman Sachs Asset Management, misread the tea leaf that South Africa will not be accepted into BRIC because of her relatively small population of 50 million and $287.2 billion GDP. But population is not everything as it has been proven with the entrance of South Africa into BRIC. South Africa a gateway to Africa is the largest and most developed economy in Africa. With relatively less corruption and with strong democratic standing coupled with durable civil and social infrastructures makes SA attractive to BRIC.

Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs, who coined the term BRIC, was not reacting favorably on the formal invitation of South Africa to join BRIC.  The invitation was extended to South Africa by China a member of the BRIC. These nations named BRIC comprises of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The BRIC are the largest and most powerful emerging economies.

Even before South Africa was invited to join BRIC, Jim O’Neill read the tea leaf incorrectly and made the prediction that South Africa was not the right candidate for BRIC membership. He further predicted that Nigeria will make it to BRIC before South Africa. Both of his predictions never materialized and the grip he thought he has on BRIC was waning.  Now he is sounding like he knows what is more important to the BRIC than the member nations.

Jim O’Neill did not waited for the ink of the invitation card for South Africa to dry before he commenced to give every reason why South Africa is not the justifiable candidate to make it to BRIC.  He made the claimed that South Africa was invited for political reason and not economics.  His words: "When I created the acronym, I had not expected that a political club of the leaders of the Bric countries would be formed as a result. In that regard, the purposes of the two might be regarded differently."  This statement makes him to sound like a mercantile economist of 18th century.  Jim O’Neill needs to take a class in political economy and to review Adam Smith’s Wealth of a Nation.  He should come into 21st century and understand the prevailing and the emerging state capitalism. Politics has never been divorced from economics in 21st century capitalism.

Jim O’Neill, Chairman Goldman Sachs Asset Management Photo:Telegraphy

Jim O’Neill commented on the GDP of South Africa which is about $287 billion and said, that South African economy is “quite small by not only BRIC standards, but compared to some others. For example, Russia is around $1,600 billion, nearly 5 times larger than South Africa. And, India is currently similar in size to Russia. Brazil is currently closer to $2,000 billion in size, while China is considerably larger at around $5,500 billion.”  His omission is that South Africa has a great potential and it is a gate way to Africa.  Looking at the GDP of South Africa will not tell you the whole story about the country.  The country is natural resources-rich and Africa has a vast arable soil for cultivation and agriculture. Moreover, South Africa’s debt-to-GDP ratio 29.50 % is among the lowest in the country’s category compared to Greece with debt-to-GDP ratio of 125 %.

All those raising voices on South Africa invitation into BRIC do not know more about South Africa than China that made the invitation. The China knows about her interest and where it lies and she is willing to protect her interest. Before China sends out invitation card to South Africa she has done her home work and has contacted rest of the BRIC members. What Jim O’Neill and his opposition camp should have done is to ask the BRIC members why they think that South Africa is the most suitable for membership.

On the population size of South Africa that prompted an initial reason for Jim O’Neill for not rooting for the relatively smaller South African population of 50 million. South Africa can easily increase her population by opening door to willing African neighboring countries to migrate into her country.

Mr. Emeka Chiakwelu is the Principal Policy Strategist at Afripol. Africa Political & Economic Strategic Center (AFRIPOL) is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

South Africa becomes BRIC member

The South African Foreign Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said that her country has received a formal invitation to join BRIC,  reported by the news agency AFP. The  BRIC -  Brazil, Russia, India and China are group of emerging nations with large and dominating economies in their own corners of the world. The BRIC nations have influencing economic power in each of their economic blocks.  For a while the economic experts have been speculating and forecasting that Nigeria will be the first country in Africa to make it to BRIC because of her size and future economic growth.

While Nigeria was sitting down occupied with lethargy and internal politics, South Africa as usual was busy lobbying for a membership into the league of the largest emerging economies BRIC.  Now South Africa has made it and has become the first and only African country that has made into the advantageous and prestigious economic group.  Nigeria’s finance minister, Olusegun Aganga has just dropped the ball this time and has shown lack of leadership in this issue. Aganga is a respected voice in the financial world, and should have used his influence and prestige to lobby for his country.  Africa should be proud of South Africa for trying to better her country but Nigeria must also catalyze her economic progress by getting involved and not waiting for things to be handed to her. Nigeria must be proactive and must make the intrinsic initiative to lead and to get involved.

Leaders of the BRIC countries--Brazil, Russia, India and China

"Chinese President Hu Jintao also issued a letter of invitation to (South African) President Jacob Zuma to attend the third BRICS leaders' summit, to be held in China in the first quarter of 2011. China in its capacity as rotating chairperson of the BRIC formation, based on agreement reached by the BRIC member states, invites South Africa as a full member into what will in future be called BRICS”  according to SA Foreign Minister  Nkoana-Mashabane .

“The BRIC countries are not formally linked but have held summits and taken steps to boost financial cooperation and investment opportunities among them. The group held its first formal summit in Russia last year. She said she received a phone call on Thursday from Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi informing her of the invitation to join the group, whose current members will account for 61 percent of global growth in 2014, according to the International Monetary Fund.”

Jim O’Neill, Chairman Goldman Sachs Asset Management, misread the tea leaf that South Africa will not be accepted into BRIC because of her relatively small population of 50 million comparing to Nigeria’s 150 million. But population is not everything as it has been proven with the entrance of South Africa into BRIC. South Africa is the largest and most developed economy in Africa. With relatively less corruption and with strong democratic standing coupled with durable civil and social infrastructures makes her attractive to BRIC. Nigeria will not only rely on her population as the only factor to be recognized as an emerging power, she must work aggressively to develop a disciplined and diversified economy.

Prior to this development, Kingsley Ighomwenghian of Agency Report, commenting on South Africa and Nigeria membership quest in BRIC, wrote: “The BRICs are some of the world’s fastest growing economies, to which according to Reuters, quoting Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev, South Africa had “applied” to join in. Others eager to join the club include Turkey, Mexico and Indonesia, which investors typically eye as possible additions to the BRICs, having grabbed a chunk of emerging market investment in recent years due to their scale, growth and impact on the global economy. “

Nigeria has been favored over South Africa because of her large population and her bulging GDP. Nigerian economy has been growing at about annual rate of 7.8 percent and even expected to grow up to 10 percent with the future upgrade and improvement of electricity. Razia Khan, an African research expert at Standard Chartered joined the debate by predicting that Nigeria’s economy may overtake and supersede South Africa’s by 2023 and “in the next five years, Nigeria will add another 23 million people and South Africa will add another 2.8 million.” Even with all the Nigeria’s advantage, the well organized South Africa made it to BRIC before her.

Cancels $137M and  Offers $30M credit

President Zuma and wife arrive in Cuba for three-day official visit Pics credit: SA presidency

South Africa, a member of G20 and the largest economy in Africa cancelled approximately $137 million in debt owed by Cuba and granted $30 million in new credits to Cuba. This development took place in Caribbean Island communist controlled nation as South African president Jacob Zuma was on his official 3-day visit.

Cuba a trading partner to South Africa was being slowed down by command economy, recession and lack of trade, therefore the revival of trade becomes imperative to the visiting African president. President Zuma came to Cuba with some 50 representatives from different businesses of South Africa with interest to do business with Cuba.

“Trade between the two countries has been practically nonexistent for years because of the debt issue, while South Africa does pay an unknown amount for Cuban doctors working in the country and has a joint project to produce vaccines. Cuba last reported its foreign debt as $17.8 billion in 2007 and is currently going through a financial crisis that has left it hard pressed to obtain credits and meet obligations. “

South African trade ministry official Pumla Ncapayi said that his country hoped to export agricultural machinery to Cuba inorder  to help President Raul Castro’s program of improving agriculture and reduction of  food importation to Cuba.

“South African mining companies have expressed interest in Cuban nickel and other minerals in the past, but no major investments have materialized. More recently, a South African group of investors has financed hotel construction in Cuba. Meanwhile, Cuba has provided health services, as well as personnel and logistics for workforce housing construction and construction of facilities in the run-up of the 2010 soccer World Cup. Also, South Africa is funding some of the healthcare programs Cuba is providing to third nations in Africa. Cuba and South Africa maintain cooperation agreements in health, labor relations, social security and information and communications technology.”

(L) President Zuma interacts with  Cuban  diplomat and Cuban people (Right)

South African Black liberation struggle was supported by Fidel Castro’s Cuba. And South Africa at the end of Apartheid has blossom into a full capitalistic economy and has become an emerging industrial giant.  While the Island nation of Cuba has refused to embrace free enterprise and democracy which can revive its fragile economy.

Image of a nation might as well be the destiny of a nation. Nigeria's disfigured image in the global village has become an insignia of dishonest, dishonor and disrespect; this is outright humiliation of a nation of almost 150 million people. Majority of Nigerians are industrious, God-fearing and law abiding people. But a tiny minority is destroying the image of the country and the governance ineptitude is adding salt to the injury.

Consequentially, Nigeria is in self-doubt, bedeviled with nihilism, lethargy and encompassing corruption. Now comes the climax, a Nigerian was associated with terrorism and finally the image of the country is demolished. What Nigeria needs is genuine re-branding and re-alignment that is not cosmetics but rooted in truth, pragmatism and an affirmative change.

"There's no arguing that the image we have of another country says a lot about how we view it as a tourist destination, a place to invest or a source of consumer goods." And the rest of world's perception about Nigeria will affect her pocket and economy because less people will be incline to invest and travel to the country. A nation re-branding is not peculiar to Nigeria; many countries including Germany and Japan were re-branded at the end of Second War World: Now Germany and Japan are known as liberal democracies with peaceful and progressive policies. South Africa was re-branded with an image of gentle and cheerful multicultural country at the end of Apartheid.

The litany of Nigerian sins and misbehaviors are no longer a news to the entire world, as the world have come to see the intractable problems of Nigeria as threat to global financial and economic stability. Nigeria is known for e-mail fraud, manipulation of established standard operations and now for terrorism. The peril of this dented image is taking its toil on the average citizen of Nigeria who cannot freely travel nor conduct international business. Nigeria with all the wealth she generated from oil and local revenues cannot provide the basic necessities of life to her populace.

Many Nigerians are quick to point accusing fingers to the country's leadership but fail to see themselves as part and parcel of the unworkable Nigeria. By no means, nobody is excluding the elite and ruling class from the generated mess but the masses cannot fold their hands and anticipate a change to initiate itself. The average Nigerians must also shoulder some responsibilities by shunning corruption including coming to work on time and rejecting short /dubious path to wealth accumulation.

There are enduring and lingering ramifications that are associated with poor and disastrous image of a nation. The financial and economic impact is overwhelming especially on the wealth of nation, wealth creation and GDP. The wealth of nation and its creation must involve the attraction of foreign capitals and manpower. No serious capitalist desire to invest his wealth in a nation of untrustworthy people. Subsequently, economic downturn does give rise to mammoth unemployment; that can trigger instability and inability for government to protect lives and properties.

In 21st century of inter connecting world, an image can help to lift up a nation and this is exactly why many nations are very protective of their images. Once an image of a nation is tarnished it becomes an arduous if not an impossible task to reverse the trend. The only hope for Nigeria is that an image of a nation is neither indelible nor etched in stone. For Nigeria it is never too late to commence to make the affirmative moves in the comprehensive transformation of the country's image.

The total transformation of Nigeria's image must be deliberate, coherent and self-evident. This is not going to be superficial, a tinkering at the peripheral with piecemeal characteristics similar to toddler step taken by respectful Dora Akunyili, Nigerian Minister of Information, as she tries to re-brand her country. With all due respect, her tactics of blaming game is self-defeating, incoherent and contradicts her objective. Re-branding and image making of a nation is not a singular act but a collective effort of patriots including men and women of goodwill.

In paper presentation on Vision 2020 Nigerian project, I reiterated the importance of Nigeria's Image Management: "Nigerian policy and decision makers have not certainly explored the power of image making. The image of a nation both abstract and aesthetic speaks a volume of the nation. Nigeria must be able to tell the world that she is ripe for investment and tourism without obstruction. No foreign institutions or countries can tell the world about Nigeria more than Nigerians could do. Nigeria cannot afford to be NAIVE and NONCHALANT."Nigeria must undergo fundamental paradigm change and must be focused on a path of transformation and progress. It is not going to be a picnic nor an ego trip but a deliberate act with superior intellectual power to give birth to a new Nigeria. This is not about hiring international image consultants that will cost millions of dollars.

It is about Nigeria and Nigerians undergoing a candid self examination and making decision to do the right thing for the interest of her citizens, our children and posterity. When the fundamental changes are made, then Nigeria may hire media specialist and spokesperson to tell the story of the new Nigeria to the world. Many well known people of Nigerian heritage including musical superstars Sade, Seal, Slash of Guns and Roses; media star Adaora Udoji and sport stars Christian Okoye, Nnamdi Asomugha, and many others can be employed to be the spokespersons for the country.

Nigeria at this point in time is left with one alternative which is to rebuild her image if she desires to be relevant in geo-political and economic affairs of our shrinking global village. If Nigeria fails to travel the pathway of revival, reawakening and rebirth she will end up becoming a sinking ship and diminishing giant of Africa. Nigeria to be respectful and relevant in 21st century she must rise to the challenge of self transformation and revitalization.

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.