President Banda was this morning among SADC heads of State and Government who attended the opening session of the on-going SADC extraordinary summit in Windhoek, Namibia.
The meeting is the first SADC summated devoted to regional economic development.
Other leaders who attended the summit include Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Amando Guebuza of Mozambique, Joseph Kabila of DRC, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Ian Karma of Botswana and host Hefikepunye Pohamba.
And speaking during the opening ceremony of the extraordinary summit, Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson Hefikepunye Pohamba called on SADC member countries to take an active role in global economic affairs.
Mr. Pohamba said this is important because it would be easy for the region to chart a clear course of the global economy with certainty.
ZANIS reports that the Namibian President said SADC cannot afford to be a passive bystander in the process of global economic transformation.
He said there was need for SADC member countries to actively help shape the global economic landscape and create better conditions for the citizens.
“We share a common vision for a region that is more closely integrated in line with our commitments as set out in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO) and the various protocol s that our Regional organization has adopted over the years in order to pursue our integration agenda more effectively,” he said.
Mr. Pohamba said today’s summit which has been devoted to the economic development of the region should be seen in the context of leaders’ recognition of the need for active participation in the global economy.
The SADC chair noted that over the years, substantial resources have been spent while many meetings on economic issues have also been held.
Mr. Pohamba noted that as the region looks at the efforts it has made in the last thirty years and to the future, there was need for leaders to remain focused on the fact that whatever they do, the aim at achieving the ultimate goal of improving the living conditions of citizens in the SADC region.
He noted that millions of people in the region have continued to live in abject poverty and suffer from hunger, preventable diseases, lack of access to quality education, health care and other basic amenities.
He said in order to address such challenges and other developmental gaps, there was need for leaders to take actionable decisions at the on-going summit.
“The challenges we face are manifold and indeed, formidable. But, they must be met, so that we may truly translate the vision of our founding fathers into material well-being of our people,” said President Pohamba.
He cited lack of adequate resources from the region and ineffective implementation of decisions taken by the regional body as some of the persistence challenges.
Mr. Pohamba said it was critical that the decisions taken by the leaders in SADC are seriously and effectively implemented for the region to move forward.
He called on SADC leaders to mobilize domestic resources and marshal the necessary political will in order to give concrete meaning to the regional integration agenda.
President Pohamba noted that while foreign funding by development partners has been generous and welcome, dependence on it alone could constrain development efforts.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pohamba has announced that in June this year, a tripartite summit to be attended by Heads of State and Government of SADC, COMESA and the Eastern African Community which will focus on the finalization of the process of establishing the envisaged tripartite free trade area will be held in South Africa.
He said the meeting will also look at the harmonization of trade arrangements among the three Regional Economic Communities, free movement of goods and people, joint implementation of intra-regional infrastructure programmes as well as institutional arrangements on the basis on which the three regional bodies would foster cooperation.
Mr. Pohamba stressed that the establishment of the envisaged Tripartite Free Trade Area was critical towards revitalizing the economies of Southern, Eastern and Central Africa besides being a crucial building block towards achieving the African Economic Community as outlined in the Abuja Treaty.
Meanwhile, President Banda is this afternoon expected to present reports to the closed door session of the Heads of State and Government on on-going mediation efforts in Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
President Banda is the chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation of SADC.
ZANIS
these three madalas should leave the office very soon mwe
Dos Santos is the oddman out as he has long overstayed.It only reminds one that politicians are like diapers they both often need changing and for the same reasons.
you can see just how important our president is, the only one not putting on a suit.lol! yaba
RB looks out of place, and JZ appears least interested in RB. I guess JZ knows the plunder schemes that RB has done and is disgusted because in S. Africa, he is having a tough time defending the deals that his son has entered into with various companies. Corruption never develops any nation, it eats it up!!
The High Priest of Corruption (Bwezani) is the only scruffy one without a suit. The currencies for all the three presidents are stronger than ours because The High Priest of Corruption is benefiting alone from copper sales.
Wonder how Sata would look in that group – really odd!
Another talkshow by these idots
MR PRESIDO, WELCUM YOU IN THIS LAND OF THE BRAVE, HOPE YOU LEARN ONE OR TWO THINGS REGARDS WINDHOEK INFRASTRUCTURES. WELCUM MFUMU
Ba RB shasoni sana mwe dressing kwati bali ku farm
Secaba please leave RB alone. He recently graduated from Gumboots. It’s too short a time to expect drastic changes in his fashion sense! Anyways, it is really a pity that both our president and the first lady seem to be fashion victims. Now the tamanga boys want us to replace this bad dresser with another fossil (Sata) with a disgusting dental formula! Honestly arent the leaders we choose a reflection of our country? Zambia and Zambians are dirty and lacking a sense of style!
What a shame with rb dressing. U have to pack this year.
Mzalema people in the diaspora get organised discuss who is going to be the next president from the diaspora because all those aspiring for presidence are the mudalas of old politics let the young ones from the diaspora go. GO GO young ones from the diaspora GO for PRESIDENT 2011 to put zambia back on the map with new ideas , developments, infrastructure,and good education ,health,etc.
Is this issue about RB’s dressing or about SADC? Do you you guys even know what is in this article? Be objective.
Onani onani, Bwezani is the only one who is ill dressed for the occasion. No wonder Zuma seems to be ignoring whatever it is Bwezani is talking about, you bet ” ango fotokoza vilibe na kumutu”
RB needs to lose weight…looks obesse