Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano has blasted some African leaders for putting their own interests ahead of their peoples'. Mr. Chissano was speaking at the close of the World Economic Forum's annual Africa meeting in Maputo.
Mr. Chissano, who is also current chairman of the African Union, severely criticized some African leaders whom he said remained in power at the expense of the people they should be serving. He will step down as president of Mozambique later this year and has shepherded his country into democracy and economic growth.
Business leaders at the World Economic Forum Africa summit warned African governments to work harder and faster at creating enabling environments for direct investment and at building business-government partnerships for development.
Haiko Alfeld, the Forum's Africa Director told V-O-A, delegates also urged the African Union to strengthen the peer review mechanism aimed at evaluating the governments' adherence to its own standards of democracy and good governance.
"I think business has for some time been clamoring or hoping for a more robust peer review mechanism and that sentiment has been expressed regularly at our events and elsewhere," he says.
But business delegates also said they need to promote Africa as a safe investment destination. They also said that business needs to set its own house in order with sound and honest business practices.