By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The African Union chairman on Friday warned that excessive corruption in the continent was undermining gains made by Africans.

AU Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat made the warning in his message to mark Africa Day -- an annual event that celebrate the creation in 1963 of the Organization of African Unity, which then morphed into the African Union (AU).

Mahamat said the recently-ratified African Continental Free Trade Area and the creation of a single aviation market were notable AU achievements.

However, corruption was now threatening to undermine the gains made in the continent.

“The fight against corruption is of crucial importance” for Africa, he said.

Illicit financial outflows account for an estimated $100 billion annually in Africa.

The AU chairman said corruption is deviating necessary resources for social amenities such as electricity, water and sanitation services.

In spite of the challenges posed by corruption, there were reasons for hope of a bright future in Africa, he added.

“Despite the global downturn, several African countries are the world’s fastest growing economies,” he said, noting the increase in industrialization.

Call for co-existence

The African Union said the objective of the Africa Day celebration includes the creation, maintenance and increasing of awareness for the public at large on the theme Winning the Fight against Corruption as well as the fostering of African unity through bazaars that showcase African cultural diversity.

Africa Day celebrates and acknowledges the successes of the Organization of African Unity (OAU now the AU) since its creation in May 25, 1963, in the fight against colonialism and apartheid.

The leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF) party called for co-existence and unity amongst South Africans and migrants following several anti-immigrant attacks in the country.

"We hate one another today; we kill one another because we don’t know who we are,” Julius Malema told a huge crowd celebrating Africa Day in capital Pretoria.

He said South Africans call African migrants derogatory names without following their history which shows they too migrated from the North and East of Africa to settle in South Africa.

The EFF is South Africa’s third largest political party in parliament. Local NGO’s and local government officials also urged citizens to co-exist with migrants.

South Africa has witnessed a wave of anti-immigrant attacks which began in 2008, leaving 62 people dead and tens of thousands displaced or had to flee the country. Another attack happened in 2015 in the coastal city of Durban and later spread to Johannesburg, the country’s largest city.

Seven people lost their lives in the violence and hundreds were displaced from their homes and businesses.

Hundreds of other African migrants left the country after their governments provided transport to repatriate them back home. 

*Hassan Isilow in South Africa contributed to this story.