SADC notes gains on industrial development in the region
THE 16 SADC heads of state meeting at the SADC summit in Pretoria yesterday agreed on an ambitious road map that squares perfectly with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic policy priorities.
“The SADC Council of Ministers successfully deliberated on several issues of importance to the region in relation to our priority programmes,” Minister for International Relations and Co-operation Lindiwe Sisulu said last night. “The council noted the achievements recorded across the SADC priority areas of industrial development and market integration.”
The SADC agenda centres on transforming the region from a resource-based economy to one of innovation and high industrial productivity.
“Progress has been made on the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, which includes the development of value chains in pharmaceuticals, minerals and agro-processing sectors,” Sisulu said.
With five upcoming national elections this year, the SADC is faced with a test of its commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Swaziland and the Democratic Republic of Congo all have elections scheduled for this year.
Sisulu noted she had met the deputy prime minister of the DRC, who had reported that progress towards the elections to be held on December 23 were ongoing.
A total of 46 million Congolese have registered to vote. SADC executive secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax confirmed the SADC was awaiting an invitation from the DRC to observe the elections, and has already accepted the invitation from Zimbabwe to observe their elections.
The region has recently managed to ensure peaceful transitions of power and has ensured a measure of political stability in Lesotho, although there remains the question of who will succeed Ramaphosa as mediator in Lesotho.
Sisulu noted that this will be discussed in upcoming bilateral meetings.
Sisulu’s bilateral discussions with Lesotho after the summit centred on the fact that the king of Lesotho was greatly offended at his recent treatment at the South African border post.
The issue required urgent attention as the Basotho people were planning to blockade the border post in response to the king’s ordeal.
“I have undertaken to travel to Lesotho personally to apologise to the king for the treatment he received,” Sisulu said.
Home Affairs has also undertaken to deal with the situation.
Tax reported the SADC’s newly formed natural gas committee had met and its was work ongoing, given the important contribution of natural gas to the regional energy mix.
Currently gas comprises only 1.3% of the region’s power generation mix, even though SADC has large gas deposits.
New gas finds in Mozambique and Tanzania are impressive. Mozambique has estimated reserves of 15-30 trillion cubic feet of gas, which is equivalent to a year’s gas consumption by the US. Similarly, Tanzania has an estimated 10 trillion cubic feet of gas.
The next SADC summit will be held in Namibia in August, hosted by President Hage Geinob.