Maravi

(HERALD) Regional integration key: Sadc leaders

Regional integration key: Sadc leaders
Thursday, 18 August 2011 02:00
From Caesar Zvayi in LUANDA, Angola

THE 31st Ordinary Summit of Sadc heads of state and government opened at the Talatona Convention Centre here yesterday with Sadc leaders stressing the importance of regio-nal integration and strategic cohesion pursuant to launching a customs union.

The opening session began with addresses by executive secretary Tomaz Salamao, African Union Commission chairman Dr Jean Ping and former Botswana president Festus Mogae in his capacity as chair of the lobby Champions in Fight against HIV and Aids.
The speeches were followed by the handover of prizes to the regional winners of the 2011 media awards and essay competitions.

ZBH online staffer Justin Mahlala came first in the print category while two secondary school pupils from Zimbabwe came second and third in the essay competition with first place going to Zambia.

The 31st summit, being held under the theme, ‘‘consolidating the bases of regional integration, infrastructure development to facilitate trade and economic liberalisation,'' has a broad agenda centred on the summit theme.

Top on the agenda is the issue of Sadc finances amid concerns that there was an over-reliance on donor funding that has the potential of compromising Sadc's policy stance. For instance, of the US$83million budget for 2011, only US$31m came from member states while the rem-aining US$52million came from don-ors, mainly of western origin.

The situation is even dire for the programmes budget, where the regi-on originated only US$5m. Only eight of the 14-member states have paid their contributions with four states promising to pay by the end of the summit. Worth noting, however, is the fact that despite a decade of sanctions-induced economic recession, Zimbabwe is one of only eight countries without arrears as it has always remitted its US$1 757 000 annual contribution on time.

To this end there is a proposal for a special council of ministers summit to look into ways of how Sadc can finance its own budget.

Also on the agenda is the review of the Sadc Tribunal where the new position is that the five judges whose tenure was due for renewal at the time the tribunal was dissolved in Windhoek last year have launched a challenge against the dissolution saying the tribunal was above and independent of the heads of state and government summit hence the Windhoek summit had no mandate to dissolve the tribunal.

The latest development has spaw-ned two lobbies, one which wants to refer the issue of the tribunal back to the team of justice ministers and attorneys-general; and the bigger and popular one - led by Zimbabwe which contends that the issue of the tribunal is dead and buried.

It is understood that the five judges have found succour and funding from German. The other issue on the agenda is the filling of African Union Commission posts that are occupied by candidates seconded by the five regional economic communities, Sadc, Eco-was, East African Community, and Comesa. Southern Africa is fielding South African home affairs minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to take over from Dr Jean Ping of Gabon who prevailed over a Sadc candidate drawn from Zambia during the previous poll. If Dr Zuma prevails it will be the first time Sadc will have one of its own in the commission chair. The leaders will also tackle the issue of the Sadc Free Trade Area, which they want broadened to a customs union. At present only a few member states, who are members of the Southern African Customs Union (commonly the ‘Rand Zone' that encompasses South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia and Bots-wana) enjoy the benefits that should accrue to a regional customs union's.

The leaders will, among other things, analyse the political situation in the region particularly piracy, which has been a persistent problem in the Horn of Africa, especially off the Somali coast amid concerns it may be spreading to the Mozambique Channel.

The leaders are also expected to sign the Okavango-Zambezi Treaty which will govern the 278 000km Okavango-Zambezi cross-border to-urism project, which encompasses five countries, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.

Apart from President Mugabe, other leaders who attended the opening ceremony are - Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, DRC president of Joseph Kabila, Armando Emilio Guebuza of Mozambique, King Mswati III, host president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, president Hifik-epunye Pohamba of Namibia, Jacob Zuma of South Africa, General Mo-mpati Merafhe vice president of Botswana, Tanzanian vice president Mohammed Gharib Bilal, and Geo-rge Nkunda vice president of Zambia.

The summit also drew representatives from the UN, Comesa, AfDB and East African Community.

President Mugabe, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and several senior Government officials, was welcomed at the Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport on Tuesday evening, by Angolan minister of public administration, employment and social security Mr Pitra Neto, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zimbabwe embassy charge de affaires Emmanuel Zinyuke and embassy staff.

Labels: CAESAR ZVAYI, SADC

posted by MrK @ 7:03 PM