17 Aug 2022

Botswana has been commended for actively guiding South Africa during its tenure as SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation chair.

“It is through such support that the regional political outlook has been stable and South Africa was able to successfully execute the chairmanship role during its tenure as chair of the organ,” outgoing organ chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa said in Kinshasa  Tuesday.

 President Ramaphosa, who was opening the organ’s troika meeting, said Botswana positively contributed towards ensuring that the organ’s mandate was fully accomplished citing the peace facilitation process in Lesotho.

He said as South Africa’s tenure came to an end and the baton passed on to Namibia, it was pleasing to note that there had been progress over the past year which led to  the  fulfilment of the chairmanship mandate. 

President Ramaphosa mentioned among the milestones attained the induction of a panel of elders which proved the importance of diplomacy in attaining prosperity.

Notwithstanding the impact of COVID-19, he said the organ continued with efforts to provide SADC  member states with the necessary support to deal with various political challenges.

The South African president said SADC Mission in Mozambique continued to play a pivotal role in pushing back and neutralising insurgency in that country.

“The organ fully appreciates efforts of troika members and other SADC member states in having made their contribution in stabilising the situation in Mozambique,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said the process of maintaining democracy was gaining ground in the region as Angola and Lesotho would soon  be going to the polls.

He expressed optimism that the  elections would be conducted in a peaceful and fair manner.

On the  Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said it continued to have an impact on regional food security.  “It is high time SADC governments reflect on how to collectively mitigate the effects of the conflict as well as a number of other challenges affecting the region in the quest to ensure a sustainable regional economy and cushion the impacts of COVID-19,” he said. Ends