SADC Leaders Meet on Regional Issues

23 JUN, 2021 - 00:06 

Political Editor for the Zimbabwe Herald

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today join other Heads of State and Government for a SADC Extraordinary Summit in Maputo, Mozambique to discuss issues around regional integration, regional security, the Covid-19 pandemic, and also food and nutrition among other issues.

The summit is taking place at a time when the region is mourning the death of Zambia’s founding father Kenneth Kaunda who died last week at the age of 97.

It also comes on the backdrop of recommendations by the SADC Double Troika last month that the regional body convenes a meeting to come up with concrete solutions to the Mozambican insurgency crisis in its northern region—where extremists are terrorising civilians.

In a statement, SADC said the regional flag will be flown at half-mast during the meeting as the region pays homage to one of the founding fathers of Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), the predecessor to the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

“His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique will chair the Extraordinary Summit in his capacity as the current chairperson of SADC. The Republic of Mozambique and the several SADC Member States have declared days of national mourning in honour of the late first President of the Republic of Zambia HE Dr Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda who played a pivotal role in the formation of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), the forerunner to SADC and in this regard, the SADC flag, and those of SADC Member States shall be flown at half-mast during the Extraordinary Summit and preceding meetings”.

The statement further says the summit will, among other key issues, discuss the regional response and support Mozambique in addressing terrorism, regional food and nutrition security, gender and development, and progress in the regional response to HIV and AIDS and Covid-19 pandemic.

“The summit will review progress made in the implementation of the theme of the 40th SADC Summit; SADC: 40 Years Building Peace and Security, and Promoting Development and Resilience in the Face of Global Challenges, which was endorsed by the SADC summit in August, 2020”.

Apart from that, the summit will also mark the regional commemoration of the 40th anniversary of SADC with the launch of three publications by President Nyusi, in his capacity as the chairperson of SADC.

The publications to be launched are; 40 Years of SADC: Enhancing Regional Cooperation and Integration; Volume 2 of Mozambique SADC Success Stories; and the Hashim Mbita (Southern African Liberation Struggles).

The Summit of Heads of State and Government is the supreme policy-making institution of SADC with the responsibility for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the community following Article 10 of the SADC Treaty.

Yesterday the Council of Ministers from the SADC 16 member states, in preparation for the Heads of State and Government extraordinary summit looked at the status of the implementation of decisions of its previous meetings.

The Ministers’ meeting was preceded by the Standing Committee of Senior Officials meeting that was held on Monday.

At the meeting, Zimbabwe will also participate in the SADC Business Forum that has been organised by the Republic of Mozambique from 22 to 23 June 2021.

Zimbabwe, through ZimTrade, will be showcasing the country’s trade and investment opportunities as well as seeking new business markets and partnerships in the region.

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Summit will be broadcast live by Televisão de Moçambique (TVM), the national public broadcaster of Mozambique.