Africa and its people continue to live in the hope of a better tomorrow. Yesterday, African leaders signed an agreement that paves the way for a single continent-wide trading zone and customs union. Perhaps, finally, we are on the right road.If the discussions coming out of the summit in Egypt this week of leaders of three of the big African trading blocs - the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) - are worth the money spent on them, then South Africa can look forward to the outcomes of discussions at the African Union Summit now on in Johannesburg.African leaders will have to sell the idea of a unified trading bloc and begin to act in a way that takes this continent forward.It will be a hard sell.Those in attendance at the Egypt summit include some of Africa's Big Men - presidents who have been in power for decades.Sudan's president was there. So was Zimbabwe's, and Burundi's.Occupancy of high office should be determined by the voters. W e cannot expect the African dream to be realised when those in charge can dictate its form and direction.If Africa is to move forward it should tackle the elephant in the room and demand full political accountability.The rules of the game should be redrawn to allow new players to determine our future.It is all well and good to seek to unite Africa and build a united tomorrow but to continue to allow dictators and despots to drive the process is to ensure that it fails.Europe will then continue to dictate terms to us and we will continue to seek short-term solutions to our problems.The form and functioning of the single market proposed will be greatly influenced by the type of leadership we have.For now, the free-trade road from Cape to Cairo must remain but a dream...