The hosting of the World Social Forum for the second time on African soil, underlines the importance of the continent, as the worst victim of imperialist globalisation and its profound struggles for genuine alternatives to the crisis of the system.

The African Social Forum's strategic role in co-ordinating the effective participation of the continent's popular forces is central in what has become popularly known as ‘Dakar 2011', as a result of it being hosted in Dakar, Senegal.

Dakar 2011 presents the continent with a platform to influence and set the pace of the global working class agenda to confront the persisting conditions of underdevelopment, dehumanising poverty, terrifying levels of unemployment and climate change.

COSATU continues to actively participate in the on-going discussions and important processes leading to Dakar 2011, including at the level of the International Council and Liaison Group. In this, we seek to strengthen our working relationship with the rest of the continent, particularly the progressive working class movement and organisations of the poor and militant masses.

Issues that require aggressive and consistent focus in the build up to the historic gathering, include the need for:

• A democratic, just and transformed global economic and political system to replace the current undemocratic system, dominated by a ruling global oligarchy led by the US and its client states in the western world

• A decisive plan to confront global poverty, underpinned by the conviction that capitalism produces and reproduces chronic poverty and underdevelopment. It is in the interests of the rich western elites and their corrupt local elites to maintain Africa as a source of raw materials and supplier of cheap labour. Hence the deliberate efforts to maintain it as a global museum of underdevelopment and charity. This guarantees that their pursuit of profit maximisation in conditions of unfair trade, cheap labour and dumping of finished goods remains.

• Urgently building a progressive movement on the continent to fight against neo-liberal imperialism, systemic corruption, undemocratic regimes and ruthless exploitation by multinational corporations

• Defence and popular control of our natural resources and putting an end to the wars of plunder that only benefit western elites, multinational companies and corrupt local elites

This momentum presents an opportunity for the further strengthening of our progressive structures on the continent and the deepening of popular mobilisation. We must combat the ‘marketisation' of our democracy to the highest bidder and the use of the space opened by the genuine struggles for democracy to expand the frontiers of the free market and roll back the state in the economy and social governance in general.

The Southern African Social Forum and its Africa Forum must be strengthened to play an active role in the mobilisation of our people against neo-liberalism and poverty.