Chronicle Editor
Business Reporter
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) must accelerate implementation of programmes aimed at increasing the volume of trade among member States and thereby improve the livelihoods of the citizens of the community.
King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini said this on Tuesday when he received a courtesy call from SADC executive secretary, Mr Elias Magosi.
In a press release after the engagement, the regional bloc said the courtesy call was part of the SADC executive secretary’s programme to introduce himself to the Heads of State and Government in the region, share his ideas about a sustainable approach to expedite regional integration, achieve peace and security, as well as seek guidance and direction from the region’s leadership.
In his remarks, King Mswati III appreciated SADC proposals, and assured Mr Magosi of the support of the Kingdom of Eswatini on the proposed approach to expedite regional integration and industrialisation in the community.
“Studies still show that there is not much intra-regional trading taking place within our region, so we need to change that, and develop programmes that will promote easy and seamless trading among the countries so that we improve our economies and the lives of our people,” he told Mr Magosi.
Mr Magosi has so far paid courtesy calls on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Among his priorities during his tenure, he has highlighted the need to unblock the bottlenecks, which slow regional integration, industrialisation and easy access to markets in the region.
“A lot of good protocols and legal instruments have been developed to facilitate deeper regional integration and to ensure that SADC achieves its purpose, but the region has gaps, which affect the pace of implementation on what has been agreed,” said Mr Magosi.
He noted that a number of the SADC Protocols are not in force as they are yet to be acceded to, or ratified by the required two-third majority.
As such he said the SADC Secretariat has started to engage member States to support them in their processes to ensure that the Protocols become operational.
During the meeting the King, who was accompanied by the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, Senator Thulisile Dladla, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and senior officials from the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, also updated SADC Executive Secretary on social, economic, peace and security in the Kingdom.
Mr Magosi was accompanied by the director for the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Mr Jorge Cardoso, head of communications and public relations, Ms Barbara Lopi, and Mr Wazha Omphile the project management officer in the Directorate for Policy Planning and Resource Mobilisation the SADC Secretariat.
Mr Magosi is the 7th executive secretary of SADC who assumed his position on 1st September, 2021, following his appointment at the 41st SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Lilongwe, Malawi in August, 2021.
Online Reporter