Ummandla we-Afrika oRhwebelanayo wase-Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) uza kuqala ukusebenza ngoLwesine. Iya kuba sesona sivumelwano sikhulu sorhwebo simahla sabantu esibonwe lihlabathi ukusukela oko kwasekwa i-World Trade Organisation ngo-1995.

Umphathiswa Wezangaphandle wase-Egypt uthe kule mpelaveki ukuba kufunyenwe ukuqinisekiswa okungama-22. Iziqinisekiso ezibini zamva nje, iSierra Leone kunye neRiphabliki yaseSahrawi, zafunyanwa yiManyano yase-Afrika (i-AU) nge-29 ka-Epreli. Onke la mazwe angama-55 ngaphandle kweThathu (iBenin, i-Eritrea neNigeria) asayine isivumelwano. I-UN ithe ukuba iNigeria ijoyine i-AfCFTA emva koko urhwebo phakathi kwamazwe ase-Afrika lungakhula ngaphezulu kweepesenti ezingama-50 kule minyaka mihlanu izayo.

Ngokweenkcukacha-manani, ezicatshulwe ngumphathiswa, xa isivumelwano siqala ukusebenza siza kuchaphazela abantu abangaphezulu kwe-1.2 yezigidigidi, nemveliso iyonke yasekhaya emalunga ne- $ 3.4 trillion. Iya kunciphisa imisebenzi kwiipesenti ezingama-90 zelizwekazi. Isivumelwano sinokunyusa urhwebo lwangaphakathi e-Afrika ngeepesenti ezingama-52.3, utshilo u-UN

Umongameli waseRwanda uPaul Kagame wayincoma “njengesiqendu esitsha kumanyano lwaseAfrika.”

Umkomishinala woMbutho we-Afrika u-Albert Muchanga uthe: "Xa ujonga uqoqosho lwase-Afrika ngoku, eyona ngxaki yabo iphambili kukuqhekeka."

“Amazwe anoqoqosho oluncinci kakhulu xa kuthelekiswa nehlabathi liphela. Abatyalomali bakufumanisa kunzima kakhulu ukuza notyalo-mali olukhulu kwezi marike zincinci, utshilo, wongeza esithi: "Sisuka kude nokuqhekeka, ukutsala ixesha elide kunye notyalo mali olukhulu."

I-AfCFTA ibiyiprojekthi ephambili yombono wophuhliso weMbumba ye-Afrika “i-Agenda 2063” iminyaka emihlanu. Isindululo se-AfCFTA samkelwa ngo-2012 kwaye amalungu aqala ukusebenza kuyilo ngowama-2015. Ngo-Matshi ngo-2018, iinkokheli zamazwe angama-44 ase-Afrika basixhasa isivumelwano eRwanda. Abathathi-nxaxheba be-AfCFTA kuthiwa banobunzima bokuba kusetyenziswe imali efanayo.

INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:

Iya kuba sesona sivumelwano sikhulu sorhwebo ngokukhululekileyo ngabemi esibonwe lihlabathi ukususela ekudalweni koMbutho woRhwebo weHlabathi ngo-1995.
Isindululo se-AfCFTA samkelwa ngo-2012 kwaye amalungu aqala ukusebenza kwidrafti ngo-2015.
I-UN ithe ukuba iNigeria ijoyina i-AfCFTA ngoko urhwebo phakathi kwamazwe ase-Afrika lungakhula ngaphezu kwama-50 epesenti kule minyaka mihlanu izayo.