President Samia Suluhu Hassan is today expected to take part at the 41st Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Lilongwe, Malawi. According to a statement issued yesterday by the Directorate of Presidential Communications, President Samia left Dodoma for Lilongwe ahead of the two-day meeting, kicking off today.
The statement disclosed that during the summit, the SADC Heads of State will endorse Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera as the new Chairperson of the regional bloc for a period of one year from August 2021 to August 2022. A recent statement from the regional body indicates that the 41st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government will this year accumulate a limited number, so as to observe COVID-19 protocols.
Among issues which will be deliberated include the mechanisms for accelerating regional industrialisation and market integration. This year's theme is "Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of COVID-19 pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation".
"The theme seeks to accelerate the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, in particular, the Industrialisation and Market Integration pillar," the statement says. Dr. Chakwera takes over the Chairpersonship of SADC from Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique, who assumed the Chairpersonship of SADC on August 17th, 2020 during the 40th SADC Summit.
The summit will take stock of progress made in promoting and deepening Regional Integration in line with SADC's aspirations as espoused in the RISDP 2020-2030 and Vision 2050, which envisage a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle to high-income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice and freedom. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 41st SADC Summit will be broadcast live by Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) TV and accessible on DSTV Channel 295.
The summit will be preceded by the Council of Ministers meeting that will be held in a hybrid format whereby a limited number of delegates will attend physically, while others will attend through virtual platforms. Among the key highlights of the 41st SADC Summit, the Executive Secretary of SADC, Dr. Stergomena Tax, will bid farewell to the SADC Heads of State and Government after serving for eight years and a new SADC Executive Secretary will be sworn in.
The 41st SADC Summit will be preceded by different activities, including SADC Public Lecture under the theme: Promoting Digitalisation for Revival of SADC Industrialisation Agenda in the COVID era, meeting of the Standing Committee of Senior Officials and Finance Committee meetings. Other events will be a meeting of the SADC Council of Ministers and the SADC Organ Troika Summit.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established as a development coordinating conference (SADCc) in 1980 and transformed into a development community in 1992. Established on April 1st 1980, SADCc was the precursor of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) - as the SADCc was transformed into the SADC on 17 August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia where the SADC Treaty was adopted, redefining the basis of cooperation among Member States from a loose association into a legally binding arrangement.
SADC is an inter-governmental organisation whose goal is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security among fifteen Southern African Member States. The mission of the SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security; so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy.
Member States are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.