BRICS offers hope for Africa's future – Mandela's granddaughter
Africa must shake off its legacy of dependence on Western colonial powers and seek true independence by boosting cooperation with partners such as Russia and the BRICS group, Ndileka Mandela has told RT.
In an exclusive interview ahead of International Africa Day, the granddaughter of late South African President Nelson Mandela said the continent remains constrained by economic control and financial systems that continue to favor Western interests over local development.
According to Mandela, her grandfather believed that true freedom and independence for Africa as a whole and South Africa in particular lies in regional unity and global partnerships rooted in equality.
'For Africa, the path to freedom isn't just about breaking free from old dependencies; it's about building new ones that align with our own values and interests,' she said.
'Real freedom means harnessing our resources to benefit every South African. It means breaking free from the economic control that has kept us reliant on systems that don't serve our interests.'
Mandela called out Western countries and corporations for continuing to drain the country's natural resources long after the end of formal colonial rule. She argued that BRICS – which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and others – offers a path forward for African nations to break free from exploitative models and build prosperity on their own terms.
BRICS holds the potential to reshape economies, advance shared interests, and support meaningful development. It's more than just an economic bloc; it's a chance for countries like ours to grow and overcome challenges together, through mutual respect and shared vision.
Mandela went on to say that cooperation with Russia within BRICS 'helps pave the way toward a multipolar world.' She praised Russia as a valuable partner capable of supporting Africa's growth without the strings attached by Western institutions.
'Within this alliance, our collaboration with Russia is a natural extension of shared goals… Russia can be a key partner in ensuring that South Africa and other BRICS nations are not dependent on any single global power,' she said, adding that partnership with the group offers the means to build a resilient economy that values people over profit and builds prosperity for all, not for foreign or corporate interests.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
15 hours ago
- Russia Today
BRICS launches ambitious development drive
BRICS countries have launched large‑scale joint projects in nuclear power, aviation, AI and other sectors, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The economic group is 'setting the bar in the development of so-called human-centric industries,' Putin noted, speaking on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The group is mobilizing 'major projects to improve the living environment' and 'implementing large-scale initiatives in nuclear energy and aviation, in the field of new materials and the IT industry, in robotics and artificial intelligence,' the Russian president said. BRICS was initially established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. In 2024, the bloc extended full membership to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and, later, Indonesia. Over 30 more nations have applied to join the group. The collective trade turnover of BRICS nations has 'already exceeded a trillion dollars and continues to grow,' Putin told a SPIEF plenary session. The Russian leader underlined the platform's core principles – consensus, parity, mutual interest, and openness – saying it will strengthen as more countries join. 'Russia invites partners to contribute to shaping a new global growth model, to jointly ensure the prosperity of our countries and the stable development of the entire world for many, many years to come,' he said. Today's global challenges require a global response, Putin stressed. 'Solving problems alone, especially at someone else's expense, is simply impossible – it is an illusion. Only joint actions within an organization such as BRICS and some other formats can ensure the movement of the entire civilization forward,' the president told the gathering. This year, SPIEF has drawn participants from 137 countries and territories, including global leaders, major corporations, international organizations, and policy experts.
Russia Today
21 hours ago
- Russia Today
BRICS driving ambitious development push
BRICS countries have launched large‑scale joint projects in nuclear power, aviation, AI and other sectors, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The economic group is 'setting the bar in the development of so-called human-centric industries,' Putin noted, speaking on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The group is mobilizing 'major projects to improve the living environment' and 'implementing large-scale initiatives in nuclear energy and aviation, in the field of new materials and the IT industry, in robotics and artificial intelligence,' the Russian president said. BRICS was initially established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. In 2024, the bloc extended full membership to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and, later, Indonesia. Over 30 more nations have applied to join the group. The collective trade turnover of BRICS nations has 'already exceeded a trillion dollars and continues to grow,' Putin told a SPIEF plenary session. The Russian leader underlined the platform's core principles – consensus, parity, mutual interest, and openness – saying it will strengthen as more countries join. 'Russia invites partners to contribute to shaping a new global growth model, to jointly ensure the prosperity of our countries and the stable development of the entire world for many, many years to come,' he said. Today's global challenges require a global response, Putin stressed. 'Solving problems alone, especially at someone else's expense, is simply impossible – it is an illusion. Only joint actions within an organization such as BRICS and some other formats can ensure the movement of the entire civilization forward,' the president told the gathering. This year, SPIEF has drawn participants from 137 countries and territories, including global leaders, major corporations, international organizations, and policy experts.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Putin calls on Russia's partners to discuss new global model of growth
Russia is calling on its partners to take part in shaping a new global growth model aimed at ensuring stable development worldwide, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. Speaking at the main plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), he stressed the need to create a fair and open platform for global progress. 'Russia invites its partners to contribute to the formation of a new global growth model that will ensure the prosperity of our countries and the stable development of the entire world for many, many years to come,' Putin said. 'To that end, we held an Open Dialogue in Moscow this year, titled 'The Future of the World: A New Platform for Global Growth', which brought together representatives from over a hundred countries. We intend not only to make this format a regular occurrence but also to build an entire ecosystem around it for discussing, developing, and implementing breakthrough ideas.' Putin noted that the challenges facing the modern world undoubtedly require a collective response. He argued that it is impossible to solve such problems alone, especially at the expense of others. Only joint efforts through organizations like BRICS and other international platforms can ensure the advancement of global civilization, he concluded. The Open Dialogue, held in April at the RUSSIA National Center, welcomed more than 100 guests from 48 countries. Participants explored the future through four main themes: 'Investments in Human Capital', 'Investments in Technology', 'Investments in the Environment', and 'Investments in Communication'. Summing up the outcome of the Open Dialogue during one of the SPIEF sessions, Maksim Oreshkin, deputy head of President Putin's administration, noted that the initiative had received broad international attention. 'It is through such an Open Dialogue that our future, and our understanding of that future, is being shaped,' Oreshkin said.
