AU Envoy Warns Africa Against “Giving Away” Its Mineral Wealth

African Union Southern Africa Regional Office ambassador Hilda Suka Mafudze has delivered a strong warning to Malawi and other African nations, urging the continent to stop surrendering its vast mineral wealth to foreign interests while millions of Africans remain trapped in poverty.

Speaking after presenting her letters of credence to President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace yesterday, Mafudze said Africa possesses enough mineral resources to transform the continent economically — but only if governments unite and manage those resources strategically.

Her remarks come at a time when African countries are increasingly facing criticism for exporting raw minerals cheaply while foreign companies reap massive profits from processing and industrial value addition abroad.

Mafudze said Africa’s minerals should become a tool for economic liberation, industrialisation and continental growth — not a source of exploitation.

“The good thing with us is that we have our policies [in line] with Agenda 2063, where we have said, through our policies, that this is who we are, this is where we want to go and this is our value,” she said.

“Those minerals should be able to make us stronger. If we have to develop, this is our time.

“Let’s not just give them away but come together and ensure that we use the value of the minerals to develop the continent.”

The ambassador stressed that Africa can no longer afford fragmented economic policies and overdependence on foreign markets while sitting on some of the world’s richest mineral deposits, including lithium, uranium, gold, cobalt and rare earth minerals.

She further said African nations must shift focus from political rhetoric to practical economic cooperation through intra-African trade, industrialisation and regional integration.

“Time for politics is gone,” Mafudze said.

“We want to do trade among each other.”

On his part, Mutharika said Malawi remained committed to advancing regional integration and supporting the African Union’s long-term development blueprint, Agenda 2063.

The President said Malawi had aligned its national development strategy, Malawi 2063, with the continental vision of building “The Africa We Want”.

“We are encouraged by the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and reaffirm our readiness to contribute meaningfully towards the attainment of ‘The Africa We Want’ goals,” Mutharika said.

“We have localised the continental vision through the Malawi 2063, a national aspiration to become an industrialised, upper-middle-income country by 2063.”

Mutharika also pledged full support to Mafudze during her tenure, saying stronger cooperation between Malawi and the African Union would help unlock opportunities in agriculture, food security, climate change mitigation, trade, education and peace-building.

The President described the African Union as a critical platform for Africa’s collective advancement and youth empowerment.

“Through unity of purpose, coordinated policies and a spirit of solidarity, the African Union enables us to harness our vast resources, strengthen regional integration and ensure that the next generation inherits a continent defined by progress, innovation and hope,” he said.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed trade, regional integration, unity and economic cooperation among Southern African nations.

Mafudze will represent all 16 member states of the Southern African Development Community in Malawi.

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