Sadc Chair hails regional stability President Mugabe

Victoria Ruzvidzo Managing Editor
Sadc is the most stable region in Africa with its reputation largely anchored on unity among its members and a common resolve that has been the envy of fellow African regions, the bloc’s chairperson, President Mugabe, has said.

Addressing Sadc staff at the headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana, on Wednesday, President Mugabe said the regional body’s strength lay in that as a group it had a shared history, similar challenges, the same culture, common ideals and future.

“In terms of quality, resisting imperialism and so on, we are the heart of Africa because all of us in Sadc are revolutionary countries. Sadc should remain a region that others always look up to for guidance. We will want to maintain and even improve our reputation,” he said.

The 15-member body, which has been in existence for the past 35 years, was formed out of the Frontline States that comprised Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The grouping was formed to fight the apartheid system in South Africa.

It then evolved from a co-ordinating conference into a development community.

Its mandate is to foster regional integration, peace and fight poverty.

Sadc has risen to the occasion in most instances when some of its members have needed assistance.

President Mugabe cited the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo where Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola sent troops to fend off that country’s enemies while other members of the group had rendered support in various forms in 1998.

President Mugabe, who was on a familiarisation tour of the Sadc headquarters, commended the secretariat for the crucial role it played in ensuring the success of programmes and projects under its ambit. It was therefore critical, he said, that the secretariat be well resourced.

“We are alive to the fact that for us to achieve the development goals Sadc has set for itself, we need an efficient, well-managed and well-resourced secretariat.

“We will, therefore, on our part, always endeavour to ensure that the needs of our staff are well taken care of, within the limits of available resources,” he said.

The secretariat had presented a list to President Mugabe of their concerns and issues of welfare they wanted addressed. President Mugabe referred these to the chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Dr Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, as per procedure.

The Sadc chair stressed the need for the secretariat to uphold good corporate governance, transparency and accountability and internal controls in the management of programmes, operations and projects.

He said his visit had come at a time the regional body was realigning its strategic direction to ensure it effectively responded to changing needs.

Therefore, the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2015-2020), the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO II) and the recently adopted Strategy and Roadmap for Industrialisation of the Region would be matched by the re-orientation of the structure and functions of the secretariat, President Mugabe said.

“As we forge ahead, let us all work towards the fulfilment of our vision by building a region in which there will be a high degree of integration and harmonisation. This is not an option but an imperative if we are to meet the genuine expectations of our people,” said the Sadc chairperson.

President Mugabe underscored the importance of teamwork stressing that even though he was the chairman, achievements so far were a result of teamwork.

“There is nothing that is typically a Mugabe thing. This is Sadc.”

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey