The NRM Secretary-General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong has challenged revolutionary political parties in Africa to remain focused and steadfast in tackling issues affecting their people, stating that many liberation movements tend to lower their guard after seizing power.
Todwong made the remarks on Monday as he hosted the African National Congress (ANC) delegation, led by their Treasurer General, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, and South Africa's High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E Lulama Xingwana, at the NRM headquarters in Nakesero, Kampala.
"The NRM party is ready to cooperate with the ANC and other parties across the African continent with the mission of causing positive change. We should not remain in poverty when we are richly endowed with resources," Todwong suggested.
Todwong added: "We are experiencing economic stress, joblessness, and a high cost of living due to the population explosion and the mushrooming of urban centres, leading to some resistance during elections. We need to be dynamic and willing to match the speed of the current demands."
Dr Ramokgopa reiterated Mr Todwong's comments, saying that the two ruling parties must urgently devise robust social protection programs to empower their population to lift themselves out of poverty without relying on donations from the West.
"We have great leaders like President Yoweri Museveni, the father of our liberation, who we can leverage to transform our people to greater heights. Uganda assisted to overcome the white racists, and now we turn our focus to economic diplomacy. Some of our companies here are training and offering jobs to Ugandans, and goods from here are being exported to our country too," ANC's Ramokgopa revealed.
She commended the NRM leaders for living up to their ideological principle of pan-Africanism as "they supported us during the anti-apartheid regime." "Pan-Africanism is a good core principle that we shall need to incorporate into our education system because some of our children seem not to appreciate the reasons why our leaders fought. They are being diverted," she added.
Dr. Gwen, who visited the Oliver Tambo Leadership School in Nakasongola, formerly a training camp for the ANC Anti-apartheid freedom fighter, the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) on Sunday, said her government in South Africa will renovate the institution's attached hospital.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the NRM, Rt. Hon. Namayanja Rose Nsereko, asked both Uganda and South Africa to expedite policies aimed at the free movement of people and goods without restrictions, stating,
"This will promote investment within the two states."
The NRM National Treasurer, Hon. Amb. Barbara Nekesa, Director of External Affairs, Maj. Awich Pollar and the Director of Finance and Administration were among the other members of the top management who attended the bilateral engagement.
The three-day official working visit of the ANC delegation in Uganda ends today, Monday. The delegation jetted into the country on Saturday the 22nd of July.