07 Nov 2022

University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (UBLS) Association is a catalyst towards SADC integration and advanced development. 

This was said by the  association’s president Ms Libuseng Malephane in Gaborone Saturday during the association’s annual general meeting and fundraising dinner graced by among others President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, First Lady Neo and UB vice chancellor Professor David Norris.

  She said the association was driven by people who aspired to transform the SADC region into a peaceful, progressive and prosperous environment.

“We are driven by the spirit which motivated the establishment of the Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (BOLESWA) University. The ideal that three poorly resourced countries on the verge of gaining independence came together to produce a giant of an educational institution,” she said.

Ms Malephane said the spirit behind the establishment of BOLESWA must be emulated for the growth of the SADC region. 

“If we harness what we have as a region, we should be able to mitigate the impact of global shocks such as COVID-19,” she said.

Ms Malephane said the association aspired to see SADC citizens transform and be in a position to deal with the challenges they faced from time to time.

“Its members have been empowered through education by their respective countries,” she said. 

Even though most of them had retired, Ms Malephane said the BOLESWA alumni must make use of their knowledge and education to bring about positive change.   

  She urged fellow members to engage the community towards prosperity.

  Delivering the keynote address earlier, SADC deputy executive secretary Mr Joseph Nourrice said through its vision 2050 and 2020-2030 regional indicative strategy, the organisation had positioned education, primarily science, technology, engineering and innovation as critical components of regional integration.

Strengthening education would serve and support the realisation of the SADC vision of a peaceful, inclusive, competitive middle to high-income region where all citizens enjoyed sustainable economic wellbeing, justice and freedom, he said.

Mr Nourrice said during the last UN general assembly in September, there was a renewed political commitment to transform education.

Some of the commitments made by African leaders included increasing sustainable financing and systematic investment in education in line with regional and international standards and reforming the teaching profession, he said.

Mr Nourrice lamented that  tertiary education enrolment ratio in the SADC region remained relatively low at approximately nine per cent compared to the global average of 27 per cent. 

He said it was even lower in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) which had serious implications on the region’s industrialisation and  digital economy advancement.    

Despite the shortcomings, Mr Nourrice said the region had implemented some key projects aimed at preparing it for the digital and innovation era including  launching a USD1.5 million support grant.

He said investment in science, technology and innovation would significantly drive the region’s economy and ensure that local and indigenous innovations as well as technologies were not only nurtured but supported for the people’s benefit.

Mr Nourrice said the event’s theme: Living the spirit of SADC, building communities in SADC post-COVID-19, was relevant and inspiring.

 “I call upon universities and associations such as yourselves to continue to support governments in strengthening the resilience of the education system in the various member states,” he said.

Mr Nourrice said the pandemic highlighted a number of weaknesses in the countries’ systems among them lack of preparedness.

It also highlighted the importance of science, technology and innovation in responding to pandemics, he said.

Mr Nourrice said in addition, the pandemic exposed inadequacies in information and communication technology including infrastructure across key sectors such as education, health and the public sector. 

 He said the pandemic struck at a time when the region’s  investment  in the fields of innovation, information and technology infrastructures was minimal.

 Without urgent action to address such challenges, Mr Nourrice warned, Africa would remain behind in development and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19.

 Comprising four chapters of Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho and South Africa, the association last met in Lesotho two years ago and failed to hold its last three annual conventions due to COVID-19 restrictions. Ends