By prince osuagwu Just back from Pretoria, S-Africa

THE city of Durban South Africa, would light up December as the whole world gather for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC popularly called Conference of the Parties (COP-17).

First, it would mark a second coming of the whole world to Africa, after the World Cup finals that was also held in South Africa in 2010. But again, it would also showcase the potentials of African business and technological prowess to the world.

That was the area, South Africa’s Minister of Internationl Relations and Cooperation, Mrs Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was excited about, when foreign journalists met her recently in her office.

Mashabane said that hosting the COP17 has provided the continent the opportunity to correct the impression that Africa has no initiatives or could not boast of technological advancements that have their roots in the continent.

According to the Minister, “we have been handed with the opportunity to rewrite our history and we would make good use of it. There are some local sciences and technologies which aided our forefathers and our great grand mothers in both farming and general living, those technologies we will present to the world”

She added that “Africa would showcase the indigenous technology which has helped us grow food and live our lives. This would do away the western influence which has dominated our history. At least you are aware that African rural women, even the illiterate ones, have sound science sense which tells them what time to plant whatever crop they want to grow and when to make a bountiful harvest. They also know when to get the best yield from the soil. At least no foreign science tells them that. These are the cases we have to make of our continent before the world.

Mashabane also noted that the South African government would leverage on the robust development of Information and Communication Technology in the country to prove that Africa has something to offer in terms of curbing the effects of this climate change.

Being the incoming COP-17 president, Mashabane believes that there is need to ensure that the decisions made at COP-16 in Cancun last year are operationalised. Some of the decision. She highlighted, included the need to establish Adaptation Committee, Technology Executive Committee, Standing Committee on Finance institutions.

For her, if these committees, are put in place and made operational, there would be ease and confidence in the multilateral process.

For instance, she suggested that the adaptation framework must undertake the matching of actions with finance and technology even as that for developing countries, depends on emission reduction ambition of all parties.

Nkoana-Mashabane also called for understanding of all parties as COP-17 under her leadership would strive for a comprehensive, balanced and ambitious result in Durban conference due to hold between November 28 and December 9, this year.

In terms of logistic preparations for COP 17, she said that South Africa’s hosting of the conference is on track and progressing well. “We are on top of all aspects of what goes into organizing an event of this magnitude; from accommodation and venue to security and protocol support,” she assured.

She said that Africa as a whole expects a highly successful event and outcomes that will make a meaningful impact on the mutual efforts in building a new future in a new world.