18 Aug 2015

Incoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson, Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, has promised to hit the ground running to make sure the programmes the organisation set out are implemented as a matter of urgency. 

President Khama was responding to questions in a post-summit media conference of the 35^th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Gaborone on Tuesday August 18.

He said he had spoken to the SADC executive secretary that he would be visiting the secretariat soon to go through all areas and protocols to see what he can do to move the region’s agenda forward.

He noted that as chairperson, his role was to drive the agenda already set out by member states as per the protocols and other instruments agreed and adopted by the summit. 

“The people of Southern Africa will not judge us by the adoption of key strategic documents but rather by the outcomes achieved following implementation,” reiterated President Khama promising to make sure that his chairmanship is characterised by action. 

The new chairperson dismissed insinuations that SADC was an exclusive club that did not consult other stakeholders such as the civil society.

“I don’t see us as an exclusive club because we cannot see ourselves as the only one with good ideas,” he said, noting that in the case of Botswana a lot of consultation always took place with the private sector and civil society as well as other stakeholders. ENDS