Gaborone, August 20, 2015: Malawi has described the just ended SADC Summit as successful in that resolutions agreed at the Summit will help uplift living standards of ordinary citizens.
Speaking at the end of the Summit, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. George Chaponda, who was representing President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, said Malawi had gained a lot through projects approval and initiation of new projects that will benefit the citizenry.
“In this connection, three Malawi transport and energy projects have been approved for financing under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) of the SADC Regional Indicative Programme (RIP).
These projects are Feasibility Studies and Designs for the Chileka International Airport Rehabilitation and the Kamuzu International Airport Rehabilitation, as well as the Environmental and Social Impact Studies (ESIA) on the Malawi-Mozambique Power Interconnector.”
He said the Malawi-Mozambique interconnector will help reduce cases of load shedding in Malawi as well as make it more attractive for investment as it will dependable energy capacity to meet investor needs.
Chaponda said the Summit was a resounding success, as it offered a great opportunity for the SADC Heads of State and Government to provide necessary guidance for the effective implementation of the SADC Revised Indicative Strategic Development Plan in relation to the SADC Regional Strategy and Roadmap on Industrialization, as well as on the socio-economic and political situation in the region.
He said Malawi will continue with the ongoing process of aligning its own industrialization and infrastructure strategies and programmes to SADC, so as to ensure that it successfully benefit from resources provided, through regional projects and programmes.
The Summit also saw Malawi’s tenure in the SADC Summit Troika come to an end after serving for three years since August, 2012. Chaponda however, said ‘Malawi would continue to play its rightful role in advancing the SADC Regional Integration Agenda, as a member state for the benefit of all.’
Malawi was also hailed on the status of the implementation of the SADC Roadmap for Digital Broadcasting Migration, where it was commended together with Mauritius, Namibia and Tanzania for meeting the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Analogue Switch off (ASO) deadline of 17th June, 2015.
The Summit that being was held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) under the theme, ‘Accelerating Industrialization of SADC Economies Through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital’ saw President Seretse Khama Ian Khama of Botswana taking over the Chairmanship of the regional body from Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe while Mozambique’s Fillipe Nyusi and Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete as Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, respectively.
Khama will be deputized by King Mswati of Swaziland who was elected Vice Chairperson during the Summit and will host the 2016 Summit.
The Summit among others also adopted and signed the SADC Draft Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment that highlights key challenges facing the youth in SADC, thereby posing serious threat to social cohesion, political stability and the future prospects of SADC.
Summit, therefore, called upon Member States to commit and invest in youth in the areas of economic empowerment; political participation and governance; youth in emergency situations; security of vulnerable youth; research; among others.
Speaking Tuesday in his closing statement of the Summit on Tuesday, Khama said the people of SADC expect more from the leaders hence the need to follow to the letter the agreed priorities.
He said the people of Southern Africa ‘would not judge us by the adoption of key strategic documents, but rather by the outcomes achieved, following implementation.’
The Summit also saw Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete giving out a farewell statement that was read on his behalf by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda.
Kikwete whose term of office expires in October 2015, expressed gratitude for being a member of a ‘great regional’ body whose aims and ideals, he has fought for his youth days.
