Peace before integration: Dlamini-Zuma

A LACK of infrastructure development was the biggest challenge facing the African continent, newly elected African Union (AU) commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in Pretoria

Addressing representatives of the Progressive Women's Movement of South Africa yesterday, Dlamini-Zuma said the AU's vision of more integration could only be reached if infrastructure on the continent was drastically improved.

Integration would be further helped by the Pan African Parliament (PAP) becoming a legislative body which would "harmonise legislation" across the continent, she said.

But integration could not be successfully achieved if peace was not achieved on the continent.

"How do you build a railway in the middle of a war [zone]?"

She said while the continent had many challenges it also had many opportunities of which it needed to take advantage. She said it had enormous agricultural, energy and human resource potential.

"The challenge, is how to use them for the benefit of Africa."

She said the direction the AU took would need to be determined with the involvement of its citizens and not its governments alone.