‘Ratification is the beginning of an obligation’ – Kuugongelwa-Amadhila

Patience Makwele

National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has warned African countries that signing and ratifying continental agreements will mean little without concrete action to implement them, saying “ratification is the beginning of an obligation”.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila made the remarks on Friday at the book launch of the Constitutionalism, Sustainable Economic Development and the African Continental Free Trade Area: Prospects and Challenges for Africa in the 21st Century in Windhoek.

She said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should not be viewed as a solution in itself, but as an instrument whose success depends on whether member states honour the commitments they have made.

“The African Continental Free Trade Area is not a solution in itself. It is an instrument and its value will be determined by the willingness of the state party to implement their obligations faithfully,” she said.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said Africa’s development challenges often stem not from a lack of laws or agreements, but from the gap between what those instruments provide and what happens in practice.