Namibia hopes for more investment opportunities from BRICS
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E-mail Xinhua, March 26, 2013
As leaders of emerging economies converge in Durban for the two-day BRICS summit, Namibia hopes more investment opportunities would come to South Africa, a leading Namibian academician has said.
Dr. Andrew Niikondo, the Vice Rector of Academic Affairs and Research at the Polytechnic of Namibia, said in an interview with Xinhua over the weekend that Namibia's economy pegs on South Africa's economy and the stronger the South African economy, the stronger the Namibian economy might also be.
Namibia and South Africa are members of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Rand Monetary Area.
Niikondo also said Namibia would like the fifth BRICS summit to yield good policies that would expand to other nations, including Namibia.
Namibia already has good ties with BRICS countries, some of which are historical, noted Niikondo.
In addition, Niikondo said he feels China should play a supportive role in the framework of BRICS.
"The whole world is currently looking to China, particularly at this time of economic troughs. Countries in the EU thought to borrow from China when the economic situation was close to getting out of hand," Niikondo stated.
Noting that the newly elected Chinese president Xi Jinping decided to make the African continent his first overseas visit after Russia, Niikondo remarked, "this will be very crucial for African economic opportunities since the new economic and social agreements would be signed to benefit African countries in their endeavors to combat poverty, hunger and health problems."
Africans prefer China because it does not impose political conditions, Niikondo opined. "China does not use foreign aid as a means to interfere in recipient countries' affairs or seek political privileges for itself," he concluded.
Meanwhile, a Namibian political analyst Professor Joseph Diescho, who is based in South Africa, on Monday told Xinhua that "China needs Africa, as Africa has the space, the market for goods and people to imbibe new implements often at their own expense."
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