Farai Mabeza
Zimbabwe has renewed calls for African countries to fully finance the African Union (AU), arguing that the continent\'s political independence and long-term development depend on reducing reliance on external donors.
Speaking virtually during the African Union Joint Sitting of the Ministerial Committee on the Scale of Assessment and Contributions and the Committee of Fifteen Ministers of Finance (F15) on Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Prof. Amon Murwira said Africa must take greater responsibility for funding its own institutions if it is to make independent decisions.
\"We must fund our Union. Ideally, we must fund it fully by ourselves so that we can make sovereign decisions,\" Prof. Murwira said.
His remarks come amid growing debate across Africa over the continent\'s continued dependence on development partners to finance key continental programmes, a situation many Pan-African thinkers argue leaves African institutions vulnerable to external influence and policy priorities shaped outside the continent.
Prof. Murwira stressed that African Union programmes and priorities should be financed primarily by member states rather than external partners, saying financial sustainability is critical to protecting Africa\'s sovereignty, operational independence and decision-making autonomy.
The call reflects a broader Pan-African vision of self-reliance championed by many African leaders since independence.
While political colonialism formally ended across most of the continent decades ago, critics argue that economic dependence on foreign aid, grants and external financing continues to limit Africa\'s ability to independently determine its development agenda, a phenomenon often described as neo-colonialism.
Supporters of greater financial independence argue that institutions financed largely from outside Africa may face pressure, whether direct or indirect, to align programmes and priorities with the interests of their financiers rather than those of African citizens.
Prof. Murwira also urged all African Union member states to honour their assessed contributions in full and on time, noting that although substantial resources have been mobilised for the AU\'s 2026 Regular Budget, a significant funding gap remains.
Zimbabwe has already fulfilled its own financial obligation, becoming one of 22 member states to fully pay its 2026 assessed contribution after settling its dues on 12 February 2026.
On the proposed 2027–2029 African Union Scale of Assessment, Zimbabwe reiterated its support for the harmonised funding model, which has received unanimous backing from Southern African countries.
According to Zimbabwe, the harmonised option offers a fair, predictable and equitable framework that distributes financial responsibilities among member states while protecting economies from excessive financial shocks.
Prof. Murwira called on ministers to adopt the proposal, saying Africa\'s unity, sovereignty and long-term development will depend on the continent\'s collective commitment to financing its own institutions.
