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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela's values can be used to bring warring parties together to the negotiating table and resolve crises dogging the Middle East, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
This was the refrain as ambassadors paid tributes to Mandela on his 100th birth anniversary on Wednesday.
South African Ambassador to Qatar HE Faizel Moosa said Mandela's values are needed in the world, especially in this region.
Moosa said when Mandela became the South African president in 1994, it was difficult for South Africans to connect with one another as South Africans came from different backgrounds.
"It was Mandela's values that brought us together and it will be great for Middle East to adopt those values that you will get brothers to speak to brothers," he said.
He said feuding parties can begin to resolve issues if they have a platform for dialogue.
"In South Africa, we didn't allow people from outside to create a platform for dialogue. South Africa has got a history, we have been through the process. The countries within the GCC should find their own solution and in that way, it will be a committed and lasting solution."
The South African ambassador said that there are many things that bind the Middle East and Africa including the language especially in case of the North Africans.
He said there is a focus on Africa now."There are more business people. There is a keen interest. Qatar has made major investments in Ethiopia and East Africa," he said.
Palestinian Ambassador HE Munir Ghannam said Palestine is using the Mandela model to create a platform for dialogue and that's what the Middle East and the GCC need.
The Palestinian ambassador said that Qatar's leadership is always insisting on dialogue to resolve the crisis.
Ambassador of Eswatini to Qatar HE Felizwe P Dlamini said the relations between Arabs and the African continent have got a long history and the Arab culture has been adopted in Africa.
Tanzanian Ambassador to Qatar HE Fatma Mohammed Rajab said,"African culture has some similarities with the Arab culture. The culture still exists in the east coast of Africa, especially in language and religion. Therefore, it is not new for us to engage with the Middle Eastern countries. We rely on economic partnership with this region. We need to see this region more unified because it is very important for us in terms of economic partnership."
On a different note, South African ambassador said the trade between Qatar and South Africa increased substantially in the past one year.
"It increased by 70 percent over the last year. We have also been monitoring in the past three months, there has been an increase in the trade volume," he said.
Moosa said South Africa has invested in Qatar in gas to liquids Oryx joint venture through South African company Sasol.
"We are now encouraging Qatar to reciprocate that investment. South Africa is increasing its gas usage. We don't have the infrastructure to cater for that. We are hoping that Qatar would come and invest in infrastructure," the envoy said.
According to him, Qatar Petroleum has some projects that it represented to the South African government.
Regarding Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, the ambassador said South Africa is assisting Qatar with the security issues.
