By Akani Nkuna
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has called on Southern African leaders to deepen regional integration, saying the bloc’s success would be judged by whether it delivered tangible gains for ordinary people.
He was speaking on Friday at the close of the Southern African Development Community Council of Ministers meeting, held in Pretoria.
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“Throughout our discussions, we have been reminded that regional integration must ultimately deliver meaningful improvement in the lives of our citizens. The success of our work will therefore be measured not only by the decisions we have taken here, but also by the extent to which those decisions translate into practical outcomes,” Lamola said.
“That means expanding economic opportunities, strengthening resilience, and improving the livelihoods across the region. Indeed, the people of our region look to this organisation to play a meaningful role in advancing development, promoting peace and stability, and fostering economic transformation.”
The 45th meeting was themed Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC, with a focus on reviewing regional projects and programmes adopted by the bloc.
Lamola said the implementation of the meeting’s resolutions and targets would require a coordinated effort by member states.
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He described the two-day gathering as a demonstration of SADC’s strength and potential, and said that potential could only be fully realised through sustained commitment to regional cooperation and integration.
He said ministers had raised concerns about rising global instability, conflict, economic volatility and disruptions to global supply chains.
In response, he said, the chairperson had requested ministers of foreign affairs to convene a retreat to assess the impact of global instability on the SADC region and consider how best to respond.
Lamola said other issues discussed included the status of the organisation’s finances, progress in implementing its resource mobilisation framework, and developments related to the operationalisation of regional development funds.
“These matters remain critical for ensuring that our original programmes are supported by predictable and sustainable financial resources. Council has also taken note of progress made in the implementations of decisions previously adopted by council and summit including decisions of withdrawal and the financing of the process to the Eastern DRC,” Lamola said.
