Africans should get rid of Western powers' control over the continent's resources, Ndileka Mandela, granddaughter of former South African President Nelson Mandela and CEO of the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, told RT in an interview.
"Who allowed Western countries to control our resources? We did! [...] If we start believing in ourselves, in the independence of our continent, in the ability to break free from the control of the Western powers, then we will start winning," Mandela said.
According to the foundation's chief, the continent needs to return to the principle of Pan-Africanism, building on the legacy of such African leaders as Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie who shaped the African Union and "saw a future for Africa."
"And we, the descendants of these coryphees, want to do our part by passing on the wisdom of our ancestors to the next generation. It's like we're carrying the torch. If we don't pass the baton to the next generation, our children will be lost forever," Mandela noted. "This baton is necessary."
She also addressed the issue of identity, saying that commitment to their culture, heritage and traditions is a necessity for Africans and their future.
Mandela added that "there are African cultures that are being affected by the West, and thus they are kind of lost."
"In South Africa, for example, pop culture is being imposed on us through television, and we are losing our identity as a people. And if we lose our identity, then who are we?" she added.
In a similar vein, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that Russia and Africa consider it important to work consistently against the imposition of "Western liberal cultural standards under the guise of universal standards."
Mandela's Legacy
Reflecting on her grandfather and his legacy, Ndileka Mandela highlighted his contribution to the struggle for equality and social justice, emphasizing the critical role that Nelson Mandela's humility played in his community work and political career.
"He was a social activist to the core - and I think it was through this social activism that he came into politics. If you read his history, if you listen to him, his desire for politics was born out of the fact that he grew up looking with despair at the suffering of his people," Mandela's granddaughter said.
On July 18, Nelson Mandela Day was celebrated around the world to commemorate the merit and historical legacy of South Africa's first black president, who dedicated his life to fighting for justice.