…As SADC heads of State and Government meet to Discuss Army Worms, Food Security, African Industrialization, Expansion of the SADC Regional Block and Peace in Lesotho and Congo DRC.
A press release from the Mozambique Prime Minister’s office says part of the summit agenda would be the possible extension of the Sub-Saharan regional block and the welcoming of new members.
Tanzania delegation to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit arrives in Mbabane, Swaziland headed by Tanzania Deputy President Samia Suluhu Hassan (Foreground Left).
By TZ Business News Staff and Agencies.
The Mid-March week-end of 17 – 18 March, 2017 can correctly be described as hectic for Heads of State and Government from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The leaders arrived in Mbabane Swaziland for a rather busy Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, according to Government press statements from Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.
A press statement from the South African President’s office said President Jacob Zuma arrived in Mbabane on Friday, March 17 for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.
From Top: Jacob Zuma, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário
Zuma is accompanied by , South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa; Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula; Minister of State Security, David Mahlobo; Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Luwellyn Landers.
The South African Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor is Acting President while both the President and Deputy President are outside the country on official duties.
The statement said the summit was scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 18 and was set to discuss the Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Economic Integration: Industrialisation and Regional Economic Integration.
The summit would also discuss, amongst other things, food security following the armyworm outbreak currently affecting crop production and food security in the SADC region the statement said as quoted by ANA news agency.
President Zuma was also scheduled to participate in the SADC Double Troika Summit convened to receive and discuss a progress report on the implementation of SADC decisions in relation to the political situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho as well as an update on the political and security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In his capacity as SADC facilitator in the Lesotho dispute, South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was scheduled to give a report to the summit on the situation in the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
The Tanzania Deputy President Samia Suluhu Hassan arrived in Mbambane on Friday heading a delegation which included the Tanzania minister for International, Regional and East African Co-operation, Dr. Augustine Mahiga, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Charles Mwijage, and the Zanzibar Minister for Trade, Industry and Markets, Ambassador Amina Salum Ali.
A news website in Maputo said the Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário travelled to Mbabane on Friday to represent President Filipe Nyusi at the SADC Extraordinary Summit.
Clubofmozambique.com said the two days summit would focus on the state of regional integration with the emphasis on accelerating the process through the implementation of the SADC 2015-2063 industrialization strategy and roadmap adopted during a similar event held in Harare in 2015.
Mbabane Swaziland
A press release from the Mozambique Prime Minister’s office quoted by the news website Clubofmozambique.com said part of the summit agenda would be the possible extension of the regional organization and the welcoming of new SADC members, a clear sign of the importance attached to the community on the African continent.
On the sidelines of the event was the SADC Double Troika Summit held on 17 March with the participation of Swaziland, Botswana and South Africa (the summit troika) and Tanzania, Angola and Mozambique (organ troika) to review recent political and security developments in the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
