PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki concedes that civil society is raising "legitimate questions" about its not being involved in the shaping of the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), according to the opinion piece he has written for Business Day today.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), with about 2million members, has been among the chief critics of Nepad, although it welcomes the plan.
In his piece, which explains Nepad's progress but also responds to Cosatu, Mbeki says all Nepad initiatives have taken "exactly the same positions" adopted by Cosatu, the National Council of Trade Unions and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Mbeki writes that the continent's union leaders said they were "mindful of many decades of internal strife and instability brought about by colonialism and military and civilian dictatorships that have subjected millions of African inhabitants to the worst forms of pain, humiliation, poverty, disease, and violence."
He insists that government is "very determined to interact" with all stakeholders to ensure it properly represents their views.
"There should therefore be no obstacle to co-operation between Africa's governments and trade union movement on our continent on these matters."
SA parliamentarians, for their part, were currently involved "in more detailed work" on Nepad programmes.
OAU states have been told to engage civil society on Nepad and the formation of the African Union, which will drive Nepad.
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