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Political Editor

DURING his tenure as chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, President Mnangagwa ensured that the region remains a beacon of peace, security and stability and entrenched democracy and good governance, the regional body has said.

President Mnangagwa assumed the role of chairperson of the Troika last year at a time when several countries in the region were due for elections that were held democratically under his watch.

It was during his tenure that he played a key role in diffusing tensions in regional hotspots such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In his address at the 40th SADC Heads of State virtual meeting held on Monday, immediate past chairperson of SADC and Tanzanian President Dr John Magufuli said President Mnangagwa, as Chairperson of the SADC Troika, worked hard in finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts.

“For the past year, the issue of security continued to reign in our community with some of the conflicts in our area including DRC and Lesotho. It is impressive to say that the Chairperson of SADC Troika, my brother President Emmerson Mnangagwa worked hard through his efforts to seek a permanent solution in the DRC,” he said.

In his capacity as chairperson of the Troika, President Mnangagwa deployed a technical team of experts to the Lake Tanganyika and Mweru/Mwero border between Zambia and the DRC following a border dispute between the two countries.

SADC’s executive secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, also applauded the President for his model leadership.

Dr Tax said the President “diligently and outstandingly” steered the work of the regional body during his tenure.

“We thank your excellency for your leadership, and for the excellent work done by your team led by Dr Sibusiso Moyo as chairperson of the ministerial committee of the organ.

“In a bid to enhance peace and security in the SADC region, the secretariat conducted an assessment of emerging security threats in the region. The findings show that, while the security landscape in the SADC region remains stable,” Dr Tax said.

She acknowledged there are areas requiring reinforcement to address emerging threats in the region.

Amid a surge in cyber terrorism, that include social media propaganda and extremism, SADC member states held a meeting that was chaired by Zimbabwe that set robust mechanisms to counter the spread of the disturbing trend which threatens peace in the region.

President Mnangagwa chaired the SADC Troika, an organ of SADC with the mandate to support the entrenchment of peace and maintenance of peace from August 2019 to August 2020.

The summit elected Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi as the chairperson of SADC and Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera as the incoming SADC chairperson, while Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi was elected chairperson of Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa elected as the incoming chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation.