Tag Archives: 2024 SADC Heads summit

Politics, Regional

Chakwera, others kick-start SADC talks

Lloyd M’bwana

HARARE-(MaraviPost)-The 44th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) has started this morning in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare, with Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera in full attendance at the summit, being held at the remote New Parliament Building.

The meeting is being held under the strategic theme: “Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an Industrialised SADC.”

The theme augurs very well with Malawi Vision 2063 which is anchored on the three pillars of Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization; Industrialization.

As such, expectations are high at the venue that the 16-member bloc will produce a more detailed industrial strategy for Southern Africa, while also tackling, head-on, other pertinent regional issues such as trade, peace, security, economic growth and development, among others.

The SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the Community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC. The Ordinary SADC Summit is held every year and is attended by Heads of State and Government from the 16 SADC Member States as well as heads of continental and regional bodies as observers.

Addressing the media on his arrival at Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe International Airport on Thursday, August 15, 2024, President Chakwera stated that SADC was capable of moving forward.

The youth demographic, he said, was an important pillar in not just the growth of the region but that of the continent at large.

“. . . that will spur all of us as member states to really move forward even towards the realisation of Agenda 2063 as part of AU (African Union).

“So SADC is well poised with all of the human resources that really is about young people and innovation. They are the centre of it and so I am looking forward to really engaging with others as to how best we can empower the youthful generation to propel all of us towards the dream of a prosperous Africa,” said President Chakwera.