11 Jul 2024

The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for State President, Mr Oshinka Tsiang, has underscored the importance of equipping government communicators on how to raise awareness and impart knowledge on SADC regional integration among the public and other stakeholders.

Speaking during the official opening of the capacity building workshop for government communication officers from various ministries in Palapye on Wednesday, Mr Tsiang said the government, through Botswana Government Communications and Information Systems (BGCIS), sought the support of programmes such as Strengthening National - Regional Linkages (SNRL) that reinforces effective communication strategies, visibility and awareness of Southern African Development Community (SADC)  and its benefits and opportunities.

Mr Tsiang said the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and SADC secretariat identified the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenareit GmbH(GIZ) through the same programme of SNRL to advance regional integration in the member states for the benefit of SADC citizens.

The SNRL programme is aligned with SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, which aims to deliver on the outputs such as the improved regional integration in the SADC member states, set up of monitoring and evaluation systems for selected member states regional integration and strengthened strategic communication and high-profile communication on all activities.

Mr Tsiang said the implementation of the programme began on August 1, 2022 and would end on July 31, 2025 following the SNRL which was completed in July 2022.

Its primary goal was to address key challenges that hindered success of regional integration in SADC by focusing on improving the linkages between SADC and its member states.

Mr Tsiang said the hosting of the regional integration workshop by BGCIS which also served as the SADC National Media Coordinator (SNMC) was a step in the right direction as BGCIS was the focal point for SADC communication and Promotional Strategy at the national level.

He said as an organisation which served as a SADC National Media Coordinator, BGCIS carried the responsibilities such as disseminating all SADC legal instruments and all communication to national stakeholders and the public at large on SADC policies, strategies, approaches and achievements, informing the SADC secretariat on SADC related events and activities taking place in the member states particularly in Botswana and building capacity in the member states to drive the regional integration agenda.

Mr Tsiang said he was optimistic that after the workshop, the government communicators would be better equipped to impart knowledge and raise awareness on SADC regional integration among the public and other stakeholders.

Communication and Public Relations Officer at the SADC Secretariat, Ms Anethe Mtambanengwe, commended the efforts being made under phase 11 of the SNRL in the SADC programmes, especially regarding capacity building support. She said this support continued to enable the SADC secretariat and member states to improve strategic communication capacities and raise awareness on SADC regional intergration.

Ms Mtambanengwe encouraged the participants to take full advantage of the opportunity and share their experiences, challenges and success with their peers, and by working together and learning from one another so that they could develop a cohesive and powerful communication strategy that highlighted the benefits of SADC regional integration in the member states and in Botswana in particular. Ends