They are responsible for starting this relationship and wanting

Hear the words of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a daughter of Africa who spoke with clarity about the ties between nations: “They are responsible for starting this relationship and wanting to help Africa. The United States is very well suited for this as they are a country that has the capacity, they have better access to technology and they are a successful country.” In this saying lies a recognition of power and responsibility, of how strength must not be hoarded but shared, and how the mighty are called to lift those who struggle to rise.

She speaks first of relationship. No nation stands alone, no people lives in isolation. The fate of one is bound to the fate of others, as rivers flow into oceans and branches spring from the same tree. To begin a relationship is not a small thing—it is to declare unity in destiny, to accept responsibility for the welfare of another. Thus, she honors those who chose to look toward Africa not with indifference, but with the desire to help, to walk beside her in the long road of growth.

Then she turns her gaze to the United States, declaring them well suited to this task. For they are a land of vast capacity, of wealth, of influence, and of innovation. They hold in their hands the tools of technology, which are like seeds that can grow new industries, heal the sick, and educate the young. They have the resources to open doors that remain shut in many lands. And in their success lies the power to guide, if only they choose to do so with wisdom and humility.

History provides us with lessons of such moments. After the Second World War, the United States launched the Marshall Plan, pouring resources into war-torn Europe. It was not merely charity, but vision—the understanding that prosperity grows stronger when shared, and that peace is secured when nations are lifted, not left in ruin. Europe rose from the ashes, rebuilt through partnership, and the world witnessed the power of a successful nation using its capacity to elevate others.

Africa too has seen both shadows and light in such relationships. Colonization drained her strength, yet partnerships of mutual respect can restore it. The call of Mlambo-Ngcuka is not for dependence, but for true collaboration: for a relationship where one brings technology and resources, while the other brings resilience, wisdom, and spirit. For Africa is not a land of weakness, but of potential—waiting for the tools to shape her own destiny.

The deeper meaning of her words is this: power brings responsibility. To have abundance while others lack is not a license for pride, but a summons to stewardship. The wealth of nations, the knowledge of science, the strength of success—these are not crowns to adorn the few, but lamps to light the many. The United States, in her power, is called not to dominate, but to serve, to share, to stand as partner, not master.

The lesson is clear: those who have capacity must use it wisely. Nations, communities, and even individuals—if you have wealth, knowledge, or strength, let it not rot in selfishness. Share it, that others may rise. If you have technology, use it not to boast, but to heal, to teach, to build. If you have success, turn it into a bridge, not a wall. In this way, relationships are forged that endure, and the world is made stronger by unity rather than divided by pride.

Thus, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s words echo like a call across generations: that the measure of greatness is not in how much you hold, but in how much you give; not in how high you climb, but in how many you lift as you ascend. For only in this spirit of shared destiny can nations, and indeed humanity itself, endure and flourish.