SADC Summit kicks off

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Victoria Falls - Fresh from the US-Africa Summit that was held in Washington last week, southern Africa leaders are meeting in Zimbabwe for the 34thSADC Heads of State and Government Summit which kicks off today.

President Jacob Zuma arrived in the resort town of Victoria Falls on Saturday leading a South African delegation to the summit that consist of ministers, business people and high ranking government officials.

The Presidency said Southern African Development Community (SADC) is defining a new development blueprint that is expected to shape the region’s integration agenda until 2050. 

“In this regard, the SADC Vision 2050 will also be discussed. The SADC Vision 2050 aims to provide a framework for a long-term vision for SADC as the region seeks to position itself in a context of emerging global and continental issues,” it said.

President Zuma is accompanied to the summit by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, State and Security Minister David Mahlobo and Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.

The conference in Victoria Falls was preceded by preparatory technical meetings that have been taking place since 8 August at the Elephant Hills Resort Conferences. The conference was also preceded by the meeting of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security which last year had to deal with several events in the region which included the attempted coup by the M23 rebels in eastern DRC.

At the meeting, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe will be taking over chair of the regional body for the next year.

The summit has provided much needed economic boost for Zimbabwe which was forced to abandon its currency in 2009 following an unprecedented economic downfall which led to the shortage of basic food stuff and fuel. Foreign currencies such as the South African Rand, Botswana's Pula and the United States Dollar are now being used instead.

All major hotels and guesthouses in Vitoria Falls were fully booked for the summit and attendants are expected to spend millions of rands in the country in the coming days.

The summit itself is expected to discuss how the region can achieve economic growth following years of slow growth and high unemployment.

The theme for the summit is '"SADC Strategy for Economic Transformation: Leveraging the Region’s Diverse Resources for Sustainable Economic and Social Development through Beneficiation and Value Addition”.  During Zimbabwe’s tenure efforts are expected to be made to push up the average GDP growth for the 15-member SADC group which is currently in the region of 5%. The theme of the summit is in-line with SADC’s strategies to ensure the region fully benefits from its vast natural resources.

Southern Africa is home to a variety of natural resources including minerals such as diamonds, gold and platinum with South Africa priding itself as the continent’s top producer of gold and platinum. Roughly half of the world’s vanadium, platinum, and diamonds are said to originate in the region, along with an estimated 36 percent of gold and 20 percent of cobalt, reports say.

The agenda of the summit that the meeting will include discussions on a report on the Review of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP).The RISDP is a 15-year strategic plan approved by SADC leaders in 2003 as a blueprint for regional integration and development. Leaders are also expected to encourage member states to speed up the implementation of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The African Union declared 2014 the “Year of Agriculture and Food Security”.

Meanwhile, Presidents Armando Guebuza of Mozambique and Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia are reportedly expected to bid farewell at this summit as representatives of their countries in SADC. Both leaders are serving their second and last terms in office as per their national constitutions. The two countries are preparing to hold general elections later this year to choose new government leaders. The elections in Mozambique are set for 15 October, while Namibia is scheduled to go to the polls in November. SAnews.gov.za