African Political Parties Initiative to foster inter-party interaction in Africa - Jeff Radebe

The chairman of the advisory board of the Africa Governance Centre, Mr Jeff Radebe has tipped the African Political Parties Initiative as having the potential to boost capacity building and promote meaningful interactions among political parties on the African Continent.

Addressing the launch of the African Political Parties Initiative which was held in Accra on Friday March 7, 2025, Mr Radebe noted that the Initiative was geared towards breaking up the ideological silos, deep mistrust, and knowledge gaps that have kept African political parties apart and undermined cross-party consensus for the betterment of our citizenry.

Mr Radebe intimated that amidst the multiple onslaughts of the current geopolitical turmoil, increasing economic marginalization of the youth and women, and the failure of governments to grapple with the full consequences of the planetary crisis induced by climate change, Africa stands on the precipice and can provide the world a refreshing lens to escape from this deep impasse and find imaginative ways of securing meaningful inclusive growth through broader coalition beyond what a single political party has to offer.

He cited the example of South Africa, where political parties that have historically and ideologically opposed each other, were brought together in its last elections to form a government of national unity.

He described Africa’s problems as national, regional, and continental imperatives that demand collective solutions, hence the need for inter-party cooperation. Mr Radebe admonished that cooperation must go beyond rhetoric and translate into institutional frameworks that enable political actors to work together on matters of national interest.

Also participating in the event, was the International Conference of African Political Parties (ICAAP) headquartered in the Republic of Korea, led by Secretary- General Kwon Hee-Sog. Mr Hee-Sog addressing the esteemed gathering throug an official communication, congratulated the Africa Governance Centre for birthing the vision to launch the African Political Parties Summit, stressing that the objectives and principles of the International Conference of African Political Parties did closely align with those of the Africa Governance Centre.

He noted that the ICAAP has over the last few years, advanced their work beyond Asia, and stretching into other continents like Africa, Europe and Latin America.

He noted: "I believe that this initiative will undoubtedly lead to vibrant and democratic political activism, contributing to the promotion of democracy and good governance, sustained peace and shared prosperity across the continent."

Other dignitaries present at the event included the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, H.E Americo Ramos, the National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

The African Political Parties Summit is set to be held in July this year and is tipped to be the largest convocation of political parties on the continent of Africa.

The Africa Governance Centre is a policy, advocacy, and research think tank dedicated to strengthening governance systems across Africa and are the conveners of the Initiative. The African Political Parties Initiative is a flagship program of the Africa Governance Centre (AGC) aimed at strengthening democratic governance, political leadership, and party systems across the African continent. Although the paramount event of the Initiative is the annual Africa Political Parties Summit which is slated for July this year, it also boasts of other governance-focused activities and events such as the Youth in Politics Forum, Women Political Leadership Summit, Political Leadership Academy, Political Parties Governance Index, and the Diaspora Political Parties Exchange.