07 Apr 2021

 President Mokgweetsi Masisi and eSwatini’s King Mswati III have agreed on the need for Mozambique to be assisted to ensure that the insurgency did not destabilise citizens.

  The agreement came after President Masisi,  who is SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security chairperson, had briefed the king about political developments in Mozambique and measures that SADC was taking to preserve the sovereignty of the country. 

 Dr Masisi after the two-day working visit to eSwatini proceed to Mozambique for a SADC double troika summit scheduled for today. 

  Meanwhile on Tuesday the President held bilateral talks with King Mswati III as part of a series of meeting he has been holding with his SADC counterparts to strengthen relations and friendship between Botswana and fellow members of the bloc.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues including the exchange of human capital, and collaboration on areas of health and education. 

Dr Masisi also presented Mr Elias Magosi who is Botswana’s candidate for the SADC executive secretary position that falls vacant in August as Dr Stergomena Lawrance-Tax’s two-year term comes to an end. 

Botswana is contesting the position for the first time in 41 years since the formation of the regional bloc in 1980.

Earlier, the President had in accordance with eSwatini culture paid a courtesy call on the Queen Mother Ndlovukati at her royal palace in Ludzindzini.

On the agenda of today’s SADC double troika meeting is the security threat in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado area that had recently been under attack from insurgents. 

Double troika member states comprise Mozambique as current SADC chair,  Malawi; incoming and Tanzania: outgoing as well as SADC Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security members Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe as chairperson, incoming and outgoing respectively.

President Masisi announced plans for convening the double troika meeting during his recent visit to Zimbabwe and Zambia stating that SADC would ensure that the integrity and sovereignty of Mozambique was not assaulted by dissident and rebellious forces. 

SADC would not abandon a fellow member state to be assaulted without coming to its assistance, he said.ends