Hon Speaker, when members ask questions, they need information to be given to them. Why then are they refusing the information? Somebody is pleading, "Be shorter, please!" We want to give information to help answer the questions that members want to ask.
The World Economic Forum describes itself as an independent international organisation, committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnership to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
More than 1 200 global leaders from governments and the private sector gathered in Dar es Salaam from 5 May to 7 May for the World Economic Forum on Africa. The theme of this year's meeting - "Rethinking Africa's growth strategy" - allowed our government to share a set of key messages with other participants in 25 of the 50 working sessions.
The sessions were integrated into four themes, namely: building effective institutions and governance structures, fostering sustainable growth and development, managing risks as opportunities, and fostering an empowerment mindset.
The meeting in Tanzania was not meant to be a representative meeting of African heads of state or government. No decisions are taken at the World Economic Forum. It is meant to encourage discussion and networking and for leaders in various fields to share information and promote their views, programmes and strategies on tackling the continent's challenges.
South Africa used the opportunity to argue that the continent should focus on diversifying secondary production, increasing intra-Africa trade, expanding regional co-operation and fostering further private-sector partnerships. We argued that Africa would need to overcome its infrastructure deficit and invest in transport, energy, water and telecommunications to further improve its global competitiveness.
Africa has to extend preferential markets across southern and eastern Africa through the Tripartite Free Trade Area. This will draw together the Southern African Development Community, the East African Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa to promote intra-African trade and foreign direct investment.
Therefore, economic integration is a critical route towards economic development and less dependence on aid. I thank you, hon Speaker. [Applause.]