17 Aug 2015

Faced with a challenge of steering the region towards 
economic industrialisation amid incessant power outages, incoming SADC chairperson,
President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s immediate response has been a call
 to the regional body to up its game in implementing planned projects.

President 
Khama assumes the SADC chairpersonship at a crucial time as the region yearns for
 industrialisation of its economies but having to grapple with power shortages
 that threaten to derail it from realising its dream of economic integration and
improved lives of its citizens.

“The 
regional economy is virtually on its knees owing to incessant power outages 
that continue to disrupt economic activities and adversely impact on the 
quality of lives of our people,” lamented President Khama in his acceptance 
speech as the new SADC chairperson at the 35th summit of the regional block in Gaborone on Monday August 17.

President
Khama said it was imperative for the region to expedite implementation of the
 Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and bring to 
life SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Road Map.

Such also calls for 
acceleration of implementation of power generation and transmission projects.  The 
summit’s theme is also apt in that it calls for Accelerating Industrialisation
of SADC Economies Through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved
 Human Capital”.

As 
such, President Khama also noted current trade imbalances within the region as
 reason enough to expedite and jump-start efforts towards industria l
development.

In 
particular, President Khama underscored creation of value chains, noting that
in that way, the more industrially advanced economies within the region could 
assist the least developed and small vulnerable economies to leverage on them
 to also increase their productive capacities.

The
 new chairperson also said it was critical for SADC to continue formulating new and 
strengthening existing programmes of intervention to address poverty in the region.


“The 
era of MDG (Millennium Development Goals) has come and gone…as we move in to the 
era of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)…we need to brace ourselves for the 
development of a robust based strategy that guarantees positive socio-economic 
outcomes for our citizens,” urged President Khama.

In 
addition, President Khama said the southern African region as well as the rest 
of Africa to work together with other progressive global partners to ensure
 contribution to a successor statute to the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2020.


Meanwhile,
outgoing chairperson, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe said adoption of the 
Industrialisation Strategy and Road Map was just the beginning of a long journey.

President
 Mugabe called on the private sector to join hands with governments for the 
realisation of “this noble endeavour for the betterment of our people and the
 region”, noting that with an expanded industrial base, SADC stood to benefit
 meaningfully from new trade arrangements.
 ENDS