By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK Africans took up arms to fight for the liberation of the continent, not to live in poverty and want, but to bring back the wealth to the people. So said the chairperson of the Pan-Afrika Organization Center (PACON), Johannes Tjitjo, yesterday in support of the Namibian youth. He handed a cash donation of N$2000 and some T-shirts as a gesture of solidarity and support to a delegation of Namibian youth who left for the 18th All Africa Conference which starts tomorrow in Bloemfontein, South Africa. “It is highly unacceptable that despite paying the highest price to win back our freedom and independence, our people continue to languish on the periphery of the socio-economic and political cake of our own Motherland. The status quo has to change and that change is in the hands of the youth as the leaders of tomorrow, said Tjitjo. The Secretary General of the Namibia National Students Organization, Andre Neville, accepted the money and T-shirts on behalf of the 25-member delegation to South Africa. “PACON urges the unity of all progressive forces in Africa and the world to purposefully rid the African continent of all man-made maladies of disease, poverty, hunger, wars and disunity. As Africans we need each other more than ever before. We have to embrace the real friends of Africa and reject in totality the enemies, who appear as wolves in sheepskins”, Tjitjo said and urged the strengthening of the AU in order to make Africa the oasis of peace and the envy of many. According to Tjitjo, African youth should step into the shoes of their forebears and take up the challenges facing the continent. “The time is now for the youth to consciously step into the revolutionary shoes of their forebears who have fought gallantly to bring about the political liberation of the continent. You now have the duty and responsibility to embark upon an economic struggle to bring back the wealth of this rich continent to the people,” Tjitjo said. Andre Neville, on behalf of NANSO, told the gathering that his delegation will deliver eight papers during the conference in Bloemfontein that is staged under the theme of Pan Africanism: ‘Economic Freedom for Africa and its Dia-spora’. “We will be exchanging ideas and information aimed at promoting sustainable development in Africa and establish linkages between Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean and Africa to identify problems for Africa to become an effective partner in international trade and development,” said Neville. Support for the student delegation came from the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, UNAM, the Polytechnic of Namibia, the International University of Management and the Rundu College of Education.