11 Aug 2015

Botswana will take advantage of being the SADC chair in the 2015-16 period to promote the region’s industrial and human capital development.

Addressing delegates from the region ain Gaborone on Monday, August 10, the incoming SADC chairperson of the Standing Committee of Officials, Dr Taufila Nyamadzabo, said Botswana sought the strengthening of the political and economic integration of the region.

Dr Nyamadzabo told the standing committee of senior officials that Botswana’s role as chair for the next year would be guided by the theme for this month’s 35th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, which is: Accelerating Industrialisation of SADC Economies through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital.

“The theme takes into cognisance the natural resource endowment that is prevailing across our region and the need to utilise such resources for industrial development, contribute towards human capital growth, and engender a climate of progress,” he said.
Improving the region’s competitiveness and regional integration were areas that needed to be cultivated during Botswana’s tenure as regional chair, Dr Nyamadzabo noted.

“A lot has been achieved by SADC such as the development of the of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, and the revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, and we will work to ensure that all stakeholders in the region are on board in terms of implementation,” he said.
Dr Nyamadzabo stressed that every member state, including the incoming chair, coud only do so much on its own and the region needed to pull their resources together to achieve regional objectives, precisely the reason for the existence of SADC.

He praised the outgoing SADC chair, Zimbabwe, for their stewardship of the region over 2014-15.

The outgoing chairperson of the Standing Committee of Officials, Mr Joey Bimha, assured Botswana of support.

“We need to collectively work on the consolidation of the political and economic integration of the region. SADC has achieved much over the past 35 years of existence, and a further 35 years down the line we hope to have achieved what we are currently laying the foundation for,” he said.

Mr Bimha, who is also the permanent secretary in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, paid a glowing tribute to the SADC secretariat for the manner with which they are dedicated to the development of the region, and also expressed gratitude to Botswana for the warm welcome extended to delegates arriving for the SADC summit. ENDS