By Nangamso Mabindla
25 May 2005

POVERTY alleviation, HIV/Aids and the creation of partnerships were some of the hot topics being discussed at the Trade and Investment Conference of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) in East London.

Among other economic issues, the three-day conference is being held to find ways to attract foreign direct investment to Africa; to implement policies conducive to economic growth; to improve the quality of trade-related technical assistance; and to build capacity on the continent.

The conference coincides with Africa Day, celebrated across the continent on May 25 to mark the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, and later the African Union.

Opening the conference, Buffalo City Mayor Sindisile Maclean said, "At this conference I hope we will talk about important issues like eradicating the scourge of poverty in Africa."

His City was already putting in place structures to fight the challenges its citizens faced, he said, adding that the city was honoured to host an international conference that would promote partnerships between government and other stakeholders.

Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, the chairman of the Nepad Council, echoed Maclean's words, saying it was time for Africa to stand up and be counted in the economic world.

"We have important issues to deal with in our efforts to address the challenges facing the continent. Our generation is privileged to be the one expected to deal with this responsibility."

The continent was ready to claim the 21st century, Nkuhlu said.

"Nepad has a role to play in our efforts to claim this century. It needs to ensure that the continent's economy becomes more competitive. We should try to create opportunities for investment in Africa."

However, for Africa to be an attractive investor destination it needed to change the bad perceptions people had about it, and rid itself of bad governance.

"We also need to be a self-sustaining economy and not depend too much on Western countries for assistance. With these trade and investment conferences we need to focus on these issues," Nkuhlu said.

Africa's leaders also needed to win the fight against HIV/Aids and improve people's quality of life. "Over the next three days we will have to come up with strategies to lure investors and improve the continent's economy," Nkuhlu concluded.

The conference will end on Friday, 27 May.