Kwesi Pratt Jnr., General Secretary of the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG), delivered a stirring address at the movement’s 2nd National Delegates Congress, reaffirming the organization’s unwavering commitment to global anti-imperialist solidarity and domestic social justice.
Speaking to Happy Kaseɛbɔ after addressing delegates from across the country, Pratt emphasized the SMG’s historical roots in the Pan-Africanist legacy of Kwame Nkrumah, declaring that the movement remains steadfast in its support for national liberation struggles worldwide. “We are talking about Saudi Arabia, Palestine, West Papua, the Gratia Islands and so on,” he said. “We have participated in that struggle for national liberation. It’s a legacy from the Nkrumah era and we remain committed.”
Pratt condemned what he described as imperialist aggression against countries like Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela, citing economic sanctions as tools of oppression. “These sanctions are designed to strangulate their economies and collapse their efforts to build independent national systems,” he stated. “We stand in solidarity with those countries.”
Turning to domestic issues, Pratt criticized Ghana’s neoliberal economic framework, which he said has eroded access to essential social services such as education and healthcare. “We are focused on a struggle against the neoliberal order,” he noted. “If the government introduces policies that benefit the working class, we will support them. But we are not advisors to the government.”
A major concern raised during the congress was the environmental and public health crisis posed by illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey. Pratt described the situation as an “existential threat” to Ghana, citing disturbing medical reports from mining-affected areas. “Children are being born with severe deformities some without limbs, some blind. It must be a great worry to us,” he said.
He further warned that the destruction of forests and water bodies due to galamsey is driving up the cost of potable water and worsening climate conditions.
“We are very deeply concerned about this situation,” Pratt declared. “We need to fight this menace till we defeat it.”
The congress concluded with renewed calls for grassroots mobilization, policy reform, and international solidarity, as the SMG reaffirmed its role as a vanguard for the working class and oppressed peoples both in Ghana and abroad.
