SADC has given a nod to the regions’ peace security situation ignoring a volatile political climate brewing in Zimbabwe, and Zambia and unresolved political issues in Lesotho.
This raises questions whether outgoing Chairman, President Ian Khama who has branded himself as ‘Mr. Clean’ simply swept under the carpet security issues that affect the region.
SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax at the official opening of the 36th ordinary summit of SADC heads of states and government, held in Swaziland said the region has remained peaceful and stable as SADC member states continued to adhere to democratic values and practices. Early this year, Dr. Tax exchanged harsh emails and official communiqué with Lesotho Prime Minister, Phakamili Mosisili over the inquiry of the assassination of a military general in the country.
Despite a disputed presidential election in Zambia that is now before that country’s constitutional court, a crack down on protestors in Zimbabwe and the intimidation of the media in Lesotho, Dr. Tax told the summit that the region is peaceful. She singled out Zambia and reported to the summit that the country held “successful and declared peaceful and credible” elections.
Without being specific, Khama said whilst in the most part the general elections in SADC countries were free and fair, there were however incidents of pre-elections violence that even resulted in loss of life. “Therefore there is still need to build on tolerance in the political arena.”
Therefore there is still need to build on tolerance in the political arena
Tax and Khama ignored mention that the situation in Zimbabwe is volatile, and peaceful protesters are being brutalised by armed security forces. Instead, SADC says “the region has remained peaceful and stable as Member States continued to adhere to democratic values and practices.”
The Lesotho crisis that led to bloodshed was only mentioned in passing by Khama who told the summit that SADC has continued with mediation efforts in the Kingdom of Lesotho. “I convened the Double Troika Summit twice in January and June 2016 to assess progress made since the August 2015 Summit in Gaborone, Botswana.”
Khama said the Double Troika Summit on Lesotho decided on the need for the country to prepare a time-bound roadmap and implement SADC decisions expeditiously. He further stated that the Double Troika approved the operationalisation of the Oversight Committee.
Tax applauded Fillipe Nyusi, the Mozambiquean President and outgoing chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defense and Security Cooperation, for his efforts and leadership in addressing peace, security and democracy in the region. “Going forward, I am confident that under the leadership of His Majesty and his team, we are set for yet another successful year.”
Double Troika Summit on Lesotho decided on the need for the country to prepare a time-bound roadmap and implement SADC decisions expeditiously
Instead of Tax and Khama dwelling more on the peace and security in the region, the two rushed to outline what they termed “significant progress made in various areas.”
Amongst the significant progress made in the region was the process of industrialisation that Tax says gained momentum, as the region is on the verge of adopting the costed Industrialisation Strategy and Action Plan. “Among others things, studies have been undertaken to profile the priority mineral and pharmaceutical sectors to identify potential for value chain development, value addition and beneficiation,” Tax said. She further stated that these studies indicated greater potential for domestic, regional and global value chains and a high potential for manufacturing.
SADC Executive Secretary also told the summit that a 5-year Investment Plan for implementation of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP) 2014 was finalised during the year. She says the Investment Plan seeks to ensure long term food security and the reduction of social and economic vulnerability of the region’s population by enhancing sustainable agricultural production in the changing socio-economic and climatic conditions. “The Investment plan is also expected to support and incentivise agriculture production with a view to catarise the transformation of the sector and its contribution to SADC industrialisation.”
In the area of infrastructure, the roll out of regional projects as elaborated by the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) is on course, Tax said. She stated that the need to scale up access to infrastructure was re-emphasized following the High-Level Workshop on Water and Energy Crisis, convened by the Chair of SADC in Gaborone, Botswana. “During the last year, the region commissioned about 1700 Mega-Watts in new generation. In the coming year, it is envisaged that new power generation amounting to about 4000 Megawatts will be commissioned.”
