The SADC Secretariat hosted the SADC Anti-Corruption Sub-Committee (SACC) meeting in Gaborone, Botswana at Travel Lodge on the 13th May 2019. The SACC is an Annual Statutory meeting convened to reflect on progress achieved in the implementation of Anti-Corruption initiatives as well as the implementation of the SADC protocol against Corruption.
In her remarks, the SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax noted that corruption destroys institutions, impacts negatively on the provision of services, investments and business operations, thereby inhibiting economic growth and development. She encouraged the committee to deliberate on and devise strategies that can have lasting impact on the fight against corruption.
Dr Tax highlighted thatthe transnational nature of corruption demands collaborative efforts at regional, continental and global levels, and added that the SADC Protocol against Corruption coupled with other continental and global frameworks, such as the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and the United Nations Convention against Corruption, offer a robust integration of strategies to mitigate the effects of crime in the Region.
The Chairperson of the SADC Anti-Corruption Sub-Committee (SACC), Mrs Rosemary Nkonde-Khuzwayo said that fighting corruption demands not only national but regional and global concerted efforts. She said corruption is recognised as the single greatest obstacle to social-economic development and further pointed out that corruption has resulted in some developing nations losing funds estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance.
The Committee deliberated on the SADC Anti-Corruption Strategic Action Plan for 2018-2022 which comprises activities that will be undertaken to enhance regional collaboration against corruption and highlighted four strategic activities that will be implemented for the rest of the Year and these include, Regional Assessment, Regional Monitoring and Evaluation, the development of a Regional Standardised Curriculum, and a Regional Information Sharing Centre.
The meeting also paid solidarity with the citizens of the Republics of Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Union of Comoros, for the loss of lives and widespread damage to property following the recent devastating impacts of Cyclones Idai and Kenneth.
