Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: The President of the Republic, Mr Danny Faure, joined other Heads of State and Governments of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the official opening ceremony of the 39th Ordinary SADC Summit held yesterday morning at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
During the summit Head of States and Governments of Southern African countries will discuss ways of advancing integration and sustainable development in the region guided by the banner theme for this year “A Conducive Business Environment for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, Increased Intra-Regional Trade and Job Creation.”
The opening ceremony also saw the handing over of the Chairmanship badge of SADC by outgoing Chairperson, President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Hage Geingob, to the incoming Chairperson, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and host of the 39th Ordinary SADC Summit, H.E Dr John Pompe Joseph Magufuli.
During the closed session of the Summit held at the Tanzania State House in the afternoon, President Faure thanked Tanzania for choosing a theme that depicts the continuity and progress of the journey together as the SADC family and for providing a fresh perspective on the SADC mandate as an organization focused on development and growth.
“Understanding the global context of the challenges around us, and making good of them, has been our quintessential focus since our inception. With this year’s theme, we should remain focused on the future, our youth, and the potential they hold to steer us well into the 21st Century,” said President Faure.
“This year’s theme could not have been more apt for the trajectory ahead of us. We have to find new ways and means of creating a conducive environment, which will cater for the needs and aspirations of our young people. We need therefore to use our resources with prudence and find innovative ways to protect our environment and heritage for generations to come.
We have to ensure that intra-regional trade becomes a reality and not political tag lines. We therefore have to harness the demographic dividends that the growing population holds by embracing the spirit of Pan Africanism and re-evoking the spirit of our founding members, who believed that we can only grow when we grow together. Seychelles joins the Tanzanian Government in urging each and every one of us to pursue opportunities beyond the limitations of our capabilities and ensure that this year’s theme finds its way in our national and regional policies so that they can produce tangible outcomes,” added President Faure.
Editor’s Note:
Seychelles joined SADC in September 1997 on the basis that membership to the organization would encourage foreign investment in Seychelles and would enhance South-South cooperation.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been in existence since 1st April 1980.The organization currently has 16 member states: Angola, Botswana, Union of Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.