Ramaphosa: Africa’s colonial debt can no longer be ignored   

By Cyril Ramaphosa

Every May, we observe Africa Month to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. Celebrating and affirming our identity as Africans is as integral to our national character as the ideals that anchor our democracy. 
 
We are one people. Despite Africa’s many languages and cultures, we take pride in a common identity, in our shared values, and in a belonging that transcends geographical boundaries. 
 
Even as we celebrate our continent’s vibrancy and dynamism, we are mindful of the legacy of Africa’s colonial past and how it continues to shape our continent’s fortunes.

While most African countries achieved independence many decades ago, the effects of the colonial era are still evident in much of the inequality, economic exclusion, political instability, and conflicts that persist in parts of Africa.
 
The most extreme form of dehumanisation was the transcontinental slave trade perpetrated by