Pastors and business leaders to spearhead economic freedom in Africa
MIDRAND – Business leaders, pastors and politicians gather at the Pan-African Parliament to discuss plans to bring wealth to the African continent.
Businessmen, pastors and delegates gathered at the Pan-African Parliament (Pap) in Midrand for the launch of Door of Return, an initiative aimed at bringing wealth into the African economy.
Spearheading the talks was Reverend Dennis Dillon who pastors Rise Church New York; Skip Dillard who is a representative of one of the United States largest media companies ‘Emmis Communications (WBLS-WLIB License LLC)’ and mining mogul Bridgette Gadebe, among others.
Watch Reverend Dennis Dillion speak about the Door of Return:
Dillon explained, “The reason why we believe that this agenda is key and critical is because we believe that this is a time and season when Africans can no longer ignore the urgent need for global solidarity – the urge for us to be one whether we are living here on the continent or abroad somewhere else in the diaspora.
“At the very foundation of America, there were Africans taken against their will and they were made to be the first endangered servants. Despite all of these challenges, Africans in America rose to become some of the most powerful people in America and across the globe.
“We believe that this is the season for Africans outside the continent to come back home and join forces with Africans on the continent so that we can build a strong and a progressive Africa.”
Dillon said they are calling for this to be just the start of a new movement, a new economic movement, an economic revolution for Africa.
“We are simply saying, it is time Africa, with all the power we possess on the continent and all the power we possess across the diaspora if we harness our power we can create a powerful and indeed a very strong Africa and a very strong African people across the globe.
Pap’s newly appointed ambassador Bridgette Gadebe added, “The economic colonialism continues to exist and the neo-political colonialism prevails. Even in South Africa, we find that although we are politically very strong, economically we are not. The global financial integrity says that more than 147 billion was looted for non-taxation payment by foreign companies that are not paying tax.
“The reason why we are here as the black business council and, me especially as the Pan African Parliament ambassador, is because we are trying to start an integrated approach with the many powerful people, leaders in the political space, the clergy, religious space but economic leaders and many other leaders and see what the need is and what they have to do in terms of the door of the return because the door of return is the door of privileges that we can achieve.”
Also in attendance was the MEC for Gauteng Department of Economic Development, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. He added that on behalf of the Gauteng Province, he welcomes the new initiative.
“It is an honour to be here and also to basically mention that we have been part of the journey through Gauteng across the development agency.”
Raising his personal concern Ramokgopa said that it seemed like Africans were so competitive against each other that they do not leverage the unity and the collaboration which can actually make Africa to be the key makers in the economy. “As part of the door of our return or part of supporting the door of our return our message is that Africa’s economic emancipation, Africa’s economic growth depends on collaboration and not on competition.”
