Business and political leaders from Africa Friday in Cape Town voiced strong support to a Britain-backed plan for massive aid to Africa, whose fate could be decided by the Group of Eight (G8) next month.

South African President Thabo Mbeki who met his US counterpart George W. Bush in Washington earlier this week also said Bush supported the G8 initiative to combat poverty in Africa, despite widespread worries that other G8 members like the United States could turn a cold shoulder to the ambitious plan.

Some 700 heads of state, ministers and CEOs of big businesses, mostly from Africa, wrapped up a three-day summit by endorsing the proposal raised by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Commission for Africa (CFA), which recommended a series of far- reaching interventions in Africa.

At least 350 signatures representing some 200 companies have been collected to show African business sector's strong commitment to the support of the CFA, according to the organizers of the World Economic Forum's (WEF's) 15th Africa Economic Summit.

The summit deliberately focused on the CFA report released in March, which recommended an annual injection of 25 billion US dollars in aid, as well as complete debt relief and the drop of trade barriers, to the poverty and conflict prone continent.

Mbeki told the delegates that there might be differences between the United States and other G8 members about the proposed financial facility to raise the money for the initiative, but Bush was firmly determined that there should be practical outcomes on Africa at the G8 meeting in July at Gleneagles, Scotland.

"The debate will be on the mechanisms to raise the funds, not resistance to the proposals," said Mbeki. "President Bush has attended a series of G8 meetings, with Africa's representatives present. He believes the time has come for practical outcomes, and that the G8 must identify the matters on which there must be action."

Mbeki said he left Washington with a clear understanding of Bush's commitment and there was no suggestion of an absence of will by the United States.

Uschi Eld with Germany's economic cooperation ministry assured the summit delegates that her country's support for the plan would continue through to 2007, when it takes the G8 presidency.

"This is assured because whatever the government elected to power, all political parties (in Germany) are giving the plan their full support," she said.

Documents tabled at the summit said a "strong statement" of support by companies could positively influence the G8 heads of government meeting in Gleneagles, where the report will be considered.

"What achieved (by the summit) is a tremendous amount of support to the Commission for Africa report and real endorsement of the recommendation (contained in the report), and ... high expectations ... show that this is the year of Africa," Lazarus Zim, chief executive of South Africa's mining giant Anglo American Corporation, told a press conference.

Zim, who also co-chaired the summit, said Mbeki would take the message of African business sector to Gleneagles.

Reuel J. Khoza, chairman of South African power utility Eskom, also said African business sector was ready to implement the G8 action plans.

"It's the crest of the wave which we must ride," Khoza said.

While the mood was in general high, voices of caution and skepticism were often heard throughout the meeting.

"How can we believe that this will not end up becoming another empty political talks?" asked a Senegal delegate, who referred to a great number of delays of aid delivery promised by donor countries.

"Africa has enough policies but lacks practice. We need to find practical solutions to theoretical policies," said Martyn Davies at Emerging Market Focus, a South African market consultant company.

"African governments and decision makers need to be able to implement and need to be able to manage. That is the most important thing," he told Xinhua.

Mbeki agreed, saying that Africans were more interested in actual outcomes and the G8 meeting must come in practical ways.

"This is time to act," he told the delegates on Friday.

The commission would wind up in two or three months and it would then be up to others to promote its objectives and turn ideas into actions, he said.

"A lot will depend on the attitude of the rich nations, and a clear strong message of support from the G8 summit is very important," he said.

Source: Xinhua