Zuma takes the chair at SADC
Praise heaped on him by King Mswati of Swaziland
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma was given a chance to laugh in the face of his detractors yesterday as Swaziland’s monarch King Mswati III lauded him for great leadership.
Zuma, who has faced a barrage of criticism and has survived eight motions of no confidence votes against him by the opposition parties in Parliament, shook hands with the Swazi king as he assumed his role as chairman of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) – a position he will hold over the next year.
Mswati III, who gave his outgoing remarks and officially opened the 37th Ordinary SADC Summit – attended by 15 member states which included Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Namibia, among others – said his country was leaving the organisation in capable hands.
“We are confident that South Africa under the leadership of President Jacob Zuma will lead our organisation to greater heights. We are witness to his astute leadership which has led to the economic wellbeing for the people. We are impressed by the tremendous economic development that has taken place in this country. We look forward to the president sharing his leadership experiences that will go a long way in helping countries in the region to attain a developed status,” he said.
The confidence boost for Zuma in the midst of the 37th Ordinary Summit held at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation headquarters echoes sentiments of his supporters.
Mswati reminded Zuma that SADC came with several responsibilities which included providing leadership to facilitate implementation of the SADC Agenda. Challenges facing the region included threats to food security and insufficient supply of energy, which was the catalyst for industrialisation .
“While we have achieved certain milestones there is still a lot of work to be done and that is to vigorously promote industrialisation. For it to flourish, our people require skills.
“We have no doubt that the incoming chairperson will keep the momentum regarding our resolve to mobilise resources and finance our projects that will create a vibrant economic environment in our communities.”
Zuma said the SADC’S goal was to improve and establish manufacturing capacity, productivity, and competitiveness.
“The implementation of these will ensure successful transformation of regional economies from the commodity-dependent growth path to a production-induced growth. This will not only raise the living standards of our people but also facilitate the rapid catch-up of the SADC countries with industrialised and developed countries.”
South Africa intended to advance progress made by the previous SADC chairpersons, he said.
As a contribution towards capacity building, South Africa would in addition to the initiative started by Swaziland on the establishment of the University of Transformation, introduce a new programme to develop capacity in industrial policy making and implementation.
The Summit meanwhile had lighter moments before it went into closed session.
At one stage, King Mswati briefly stopped proceedings saying Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane had forgotten to mention something in his speech.
The leader had wanted to announce that he will be getting married next Saturday.
Everyone was invited and invitations would soon follow. Thabane’s impending wedding comes two months after his estranged wife Lipolelo was killed during a shooting ahead of the his inauguration, following elections.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who was not accompanied by his wife Grace, could be seen dozing off. Although expected to attend, Grace Mugabe steered clear amid assault charges laid against her by 20-yearold model Gabriella Engels whom she allegedly hit with an extension cord after she found her in a Johannesburg hotel with her sons. – Additional reporting ANA