Posted on: August 17th, 2019
Abraham Nyantori, MAELEZO
17/08/2019
The two-day 39th SADC Ordinary Summit commenced in Dar es Salaam today looks forward of speeding its core agenda of industrialization in their Member States of which the newly assumed regional bloc Chairman, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli has in his first speech outlined how rich Africa countries can make use of its raw materials from agriculture and minerals to eradicate poverty and non-employment from its community.
The Summit of Heads of State and Governments of Southern African Development Community (SADC), during its morning forum at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC), the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr.Stergonema Lawrence Tax in her introductory note on annual overview, urged moderate remarked progress achieved despite of challenges within the region.
The Executive Secretary sited Tanzania among the SADC States to have attained its GDP, over the SADC target of 7.0, while majority of member states GDP ranged between 3.0 and 3.1, she however insisted several steps to tackle the sluggish of which includes developing cross-border infrastructure, focusing in six priority areas of energy, transport, water, tourism, meteorology and information communication technology
Earlier, the handled-over SADC-Chairman, who is the Namibian’s President, Dr. Hage Geingob in his remarks outlined several strategies of eradicating poverty and enhancing quality life of regional people, “up-scaling of energy and addressing underemployment…and industrialization remain our core subject” said Dr.Geingob.
The former Chairman insisted on Agro process, mineral, regional trade and cross border business condition improvement, also added, “We have to enhance regional integration diversion of social economy within the states” believing that the process will boost development and reduce lack of employment.
On his side, the assumed Regional bloc Chairman, Tanzania’s President, Dr. Magufuli received the chairmanship with perseverance of taking his role with vigour moves that will speed up 1.2 billion population of 16 countries of the southern region life, and assured the audience that Africa is rich with abundant of natural resources such as fertile soil, minerals and potential destination for tourism; the world game reservations are in SADC countries, particularly Tanzania.
The Chairman elaborated on chain trend of declining index of overseas import-export and GDP, from 2017 downwards to ten years, at the same remarking on exporting raw productions delivered from minerals and agro produce, the President said, “exporting raw material is exporting jobs” adding industrialization would be top priority to add value of mineral and agricultural raw produce, but also jobs creation.
Earlier in his speech the Chairman insisted the essence of enhancing peace and security of which was initiated by founder members of SADC, praising them by naming, “ Nyerere, Samora Machel, Augustine Neto Sam Nijuma, Nelson Mandela, keneddy Kaunda, Edward Mondlane… the solidarity of founder members reached us here we are” he said.
Conclusively the Chairman urged the member states to aggressively address core outlined issues for regional bloc, also directing the Secretariat to readdress its role and processes as to bring true changes for fast development of the region, “ … let’s work together” he said.
Ending his speech, he outlined to member states on ceaseless sanctions imposed to Zimbabwe by United Nations that the region should intervene to find out how Zimbabwe can be release from the posed sanctions.
