Tax Pays Courtesy Call on President Mugabe
March 27, 2014
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald
SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Tax has urged Zimbabwe to promote economic integration when it assumes chairmanship of the regional bloc in August this year.
Dr Tax said this when she paid a courtesy call on President Mugabe at the President’s Lounge at the Harare International Conference Centre.
President Mugabe assumes sadc’s chairmanship in August when Zimbabwe hosts the bloc’s Heads of State and Government Summit in Victoria Falls.
“What we expect from the chairmanship of Zimbabwe is to enhance economic integration; and by enhancing economic integration basically you are talking of co-operating more on programmes and projects which will enhance economic development which will contribute to poverty reduction, and in doing so enable the region and its member states to prosper economically and be more independent by reducing aid from development partners,” Dr Tax said.
She said they had discussed how sadc could use its resources to be self-sufficient.
“We have everything as a region and what we need is to unlock what we have so that we can be a region which is economically independent because when you are economically independent, obviously you are politically independent,” she said.
Dr Tax said sadc should not accept interference from outsiders in its affairs and the regional grouping should safeguard its sovereignty.
“If we are sovereign countries, we are a sovereign region.
“Now why should we entertain interference in our sovereign issues?
“And it is within principles of diplomacy you have to aver to diplomatic principles and you have to aver to sovereign principles.”
She said many people respected President Mugabe in the same way they honoured late President of Tanzania Dr Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
Dr Tax was on a three-day visit to Zimbabwe following her appointment to head the sadc Secretariat last year to introduce herself to President Mugabe and Government.
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| Dr.. Stergomena Tax is the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). |
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald
SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Tax has urged Zimbabwe to promote economic integration when it assumes chairmanship of the regional bloc in August this year.
Dr Tax said this when she paid a courtesy call on President Mugabe at the President’s Lounge at the Harare International Conference Centre.
President Mugabe assumes sadc’s chairmanship in August when Zimbabwe hosts the bloc’s Heads of State and Government Summit in Victoria Falls.
“What we expect from the chairmanship of Zimbabwe is to enhance economic integration; and by enhancing economic integration basically you are talking of co-operating more on programmes and projects which will enhance economic development which will contribute to poverty reduction, and in doing so enable the region and its member states to prosper economically and be more independent by reducing aid from development partners,” Dr Tax said.
She said they had discussed how sadc could use its resources to be self-sufficient.
“We have everything as a region and what we need is to unlock what we have so that we can be a region which is economically independent because when you are economically independent, obviously you are politically independent,” she said.
Dr Tax said sadc should not accept interference from outsiders in its affairs and the regional grouping should safeguard its sovereignty.
“If we are sovereign countries, we are a sovereign region.
“Now why should we entertain interference in our sovereign issues?
“And it is within principles of diplomacy you have to aver to diplomatic principles and you have to aver to sovereign principles.”
She said many people respected President Mugabe in the same way they honoured late President of Tanzania Dr Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
Dr Tax was on a three-day visit to Zimbabwe following her appointment to head the sadc Secretariat last year to introduce herself to President Mugabe and Government.
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