Angola President Joao Manuel Gonvalves Lourenco has taken over the Sothern Africa Development Community (SADC) Chairmanship from Felix Antoine Tshiseked, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 43rd Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Angola.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera is in attendance of the summit which runs between August 17 and 18, 2023 under the theme “Human and Financial Capital: The Key Drivers for Sustainable Industrialisation in the SADC Region”.
In his acceptance speech on Thursday, President Lourenco said SADC has great potential to attain meaningful development through human and financial capital investment.
Lourenco observed that enhanced industrialisation and market integration programs are critical for the region’s wellbeing.
Outgoing SADC Chairperson, DRC President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi described the theme as key to the implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap to help the region get away from dependence syndrome.
He said the region has potential to diversify its economies if it focuses on adding high value on its manufactured goods.
“As proposed by the incoming Chair, the theme will enable our region to continue to drive the industrialisation agenda forward by developing, mobilising and harnessing human and financial capital.
“As a united regional community of 16 member states, with a combined gross domestic product of around US$720 billion and a total population of over 360 million, 75 percent of whom are young people, we have a market with considerable potential for investment and economic development,” he said.
He added that SADC oneness has led to relative enjoyment of stable peace and security despite recurrent threats to the security in the DRC and Mozambique where armed groups continue to cause untold suffering among civilians, particularly women and children.
“Despite some challenges, our region continues to do well as shown by the African Union Commission’s Multidimensional Regional Integration Index which gave SADC a high score for regional integration, particularly in terms of financial, infrastructural, trade and environmental integration,” he said.
He commended and encouraged SADC member state officials, including SADC Ambassadors and High Commissioners around the world, as well as the media to intensify their efforts to raise awareness of SADC’s roles, mandate and achievements.
During the session two Malawians, Lisa Malango and Viveck Orlando received award of US$1000 for scooping second position in SADC Media Awards photograph category and US$ 2000 for scooping position one in the 2023 SADC Tertiary Institution Essay Earning Awards.
SADC Executive Secretary Elias Mpedi Magosi emphasised on the need for the region to fast track integration, industrialisation and opening easy access to markets within the region and beyond.
By Zenak Matekenya in Luanda, Angola
