Hosia Mviringi
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera recently visited Botswana in his capacity as the current Chairperson of the SADC visited the organisation`s secretariat in Gaborone.
As is the custom, the regional bloc`s chairman has to go on a familiarization tour secretariat and an understanding of their work so that they could guide them appropriately.
“As is customary, Chairpersons of SADC visit the Secretariat Headquarters during their tenure to appreciate the work done by the Secretariat in facilitating regional integration agenda and to provide guidance on the Secretariat’s implementation of the SADC Programmes,” SADC Executive Secretary Elias M. Magosi said in a statement.
Dr Chakwera assumed the Chairmanship of SADC on August 17, 2021 at the SADC 41st Annual Summit held on August 9 to 19 in Lilongwe, Malawi.
His immediate challenge as Chairman of the 16 member block is to ensure that regional peace, security and integration are achieved and preserved during his tenure.
The importance of peace and security can never be overemphasised given the existing threat of a destabilising armed insurgency in some critical economic regions of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado where massive oil and Natural gas deposits were recently discovered.
Dr Chakwera has the responsibility to coordinate regional efforts to maintain peace and stability as these are the major ingredients for meaningful economic development. It is thus critical that the insurgency in Mozambique is contained and eliminated.
A peaceful Mozambique is good for Zimbabwe as the later also is sitting at the cusp of a massive oil and gas discovery of its own in the Zambezi valley’s Muzarabani area.
Dr Chakwera is expected to steer the regional body’s Secretariat to see through the completion of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) in the Nampula Province of Mozambique.
The visit comes hot on the heels of a successful Meeting on December 3 of the SADC Ministers for Disaster Risk Management to review progress on the implementation of the establishment of SHOC.
A hybrid meeting held on December 1, 2021 and Chaired by Malawi was meant to review progress on the implementation of a Draft SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (Standard Operation Procedures (SOP).
The Mozambican government offered to host the Centre which was launched on June 20, 2021.
It is expected to coordinate all emergency operations of the region against natural disasters such as cyclones and flooding.
President Chakwera was appraised on the progress made so far in the implementation of the SADC Programmes, decisions and resolutions of the 41st SADC Summit which ran under the theme, “Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face if Covid-19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable Economic and Industrial Transformations”.
During the visit President Chakwera interacted with staff, provided guidance and signed some SADC legal instruments.
The major role of the SADC Chairperson is provision of the highest level oversight of the governance structure of the regional body. He also discharges the mandate of providing policy direction that guides the functions of SADC.
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