SADC's Council of Minister opens with tribute to Benjamin Mkapa
Luanda, ANGOLA, August 14 - On the sidelines of the preparation of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Countries (SADC), the Council of ministers of this regional organization, gathered last Thursday, via Video-Conference, paid tribute to the former Tanzanian President, Benjamin Mkapa, who passed away on July 24th from an illness.
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Before the beginning of the work, the ministers of Foreign Affairs remained silent for a minute, in memory of this former statesman, who contributed to the strengthening of relations between the member states.
Elected President of Tanzania in 1995 by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party (CCM – Revolutionary Party), he was re-elected in 2000, with his two terms being marked by the continued liberalization of the country's economy, initiated by his predecessor, Ali Hassan Mwinyi.
During the event - attended by the Angolan minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António - Mozambique assumed the rotating presidency of the SADC Council of Ministers, replacing Tanzania.
The social and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its implications for the SADC region and the organization's financial situation were key points highlighted in the speeches by either SADC Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax, the outgoing president of the Council of Ministers, Palamagamba Kabudi, or the new president Verónica Macamo.
Palamagamba Kabudi said that, despite the fact that covid-19 is destabilizing the economies of the member countries, there was progress in the relations among the states.
Verónica Macamo says that the region is going through a very critical moment, which affects the ability to implement many policies outlined by governments, but promises to do everything for the region's success.
The meeting will serve to finalize the documents to be analyzed by the SADC Heads of State and Government, at the 40th Conference, to be held next Monday (Aug 17th), in which the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, will participate.
The Angolan Head of State should take the opportunity to request support for the candidacy of Josefa Sacko for the post of Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the act, taking place under the motto “SADC - 40 years of building peace and security, promoting development and resilience in the face of global challenges”, will be held by video conference and chaired by the president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, from Maputo.
The meeting will focus on analyzing the political and security situation in the region, as well as the impact of Covid-19 on member countries.
The event will also address the financial situation of the organization, the recruitment of the executive secretary and the deputy, as well as serve for the signing of several legal instruments.
The SADC member states are Angola, South Africa, Botswana, DRC, Comoros, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are members.
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