Riyaz Patel
President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted the importance of regional economic integration as articulated by the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Industrialisation Strategy.
The President’s comments came as the 39th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government concluded in Tanzania.
Southern African leaders also moved to collectively voice concern and disapproval of the continuing sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Incoming SADC chairperson and Tanzania’s President John Magufuli said the region should unite to support Zimbabwe.
The US, UK and the EU imposed arms embargoes, asset freezing and travel bans on Zimbabwe during former President Robert Mugabe’s reign.
During a troika session of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, Ramaphosa presented a final report on the Lesotho facilitation process to the SADC Heads of State. The South African president is the SADC facilitator to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Ramaphosa also officially withdrew South Africa from a protocol that prevents citizens from holding countries accountable at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal.
Last year, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that former President Jacob Zuma’s signing of the protocol in 2014 was ‘unconstitutional, unlawful, and irrational.’
The SADC Summit further called for the unconditional implementation of all UN resolutions and AU decisions on Western Sahara.
The Tanzania summit saw SADC Heads of State and Government briefed on the overall implementation of the SADC work programme, including the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (2015-2020) and the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap.
Heads of government were also updated on the status of the region’s economy, health and food security and provided policy direction and the post-2020 SADC Agenda.
President Ramaphosa led the South African delegation which included the ministers of International Relations, Defence, Tourism, and Finance.
