18 Aug 2015

Policies embraced by Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states can only be considered effective if they produce tangible benefits that improve the living conditions of the people of the region.

These were the words of the chairperson of SADC, President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama when giving closing remarks at the SADC 35^th ordinary summit of heads of state and government in Gaborone on Tuesday August 18.

“The people of southern Africa will not judge us by the adoption of key strategic documents, but rather by the outcomes achieved following implementation.

I therefore call upon all of us to implement agreed priorities in these strategic plans in order to improve the well-being of our people.  It goes without saying that we need each other if we are to prosper as a region,” he said.

President Khama implored the region to seek ways to finance their programmes and becoming less reliant on international cooperating partners although he thanked them for supporting the SADC developmental agenda.

“I wish to thank our international cooperating partners for their immense contribution and urge them to continue to support us as we move towards regional industrialisation. 

While their financial support is commendable, it remains necessary for SADC to find innovative ways of financing the regional agenda,” he said.

President Khama added that it was imperative that improved domestic financing of the regional agenda should be complemented by better operational efficiency within the SADC secretariat to reduce administrative costs.

He also noted that the summit came at a time of global developments such as the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and their replacement by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as environmental and climate change discussions.

The summit, which took place under the theme: Accelerating industrialisation of SADC economies through transformation of natural endowment and improved human capital, resolved to scale up implementation of regional infrastructure as a key enabler to economic integration in support of industrialisation.

Furthermore, the summit directed regional ministers of environment to finalise the SADC common position for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 21) due to be held in Paris, France, in December. ENDS