Southern African Development Community (SADC) integration blueprint is guided by its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 which is premised on three priority areas, namely Industrialisation Development and Market Integration, Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration, and Social and Human Capital Development, SADC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi, has said.
H.E Magosi said these key pillars of RISDP 2020-2030 are anchored on the foundation of Peace, Security and Good Governance.
He said this when receiving Letters of Credence from African Union (AU) Permanent Representative to Southern Africa and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), H.E Ambassador David Claude Pierre, and Brazil Ambassador to Botswana, H.E Mr Flavio Hugo Lima, on 1st April 2020.
In a separate meeting with H.E Ambassador Pierre, H.E Mr Magosi reiterated SADC's commitment to regional integration and to achieving economic development, peace and stability in the Region. He highlighted the important relationship between AU and SADC and went on to reiterate the common interest with RECs as building blocks to the AU.
H.E Magosi said the SADC Region is generally peaceful notwithstanding isolated disturbances. However, he pointed out that SADC has strategies in place to deal with such sporadic conflicts to ensure the realisation of peace and stability.
The Executive Secretary indicated that SADC would need support from the AU in areas such as monitoring the SADC protocols, Agenda 2063 and communication on critical areas involving peace and security.
Ambassador Pierre stated that there are a lot of common areas in which his office, the AU Southern Africa Regional Office (SARO), and SADC can collaborate and that there is a need for AU-SARO and the SADC Secretariat to work together to collaborate on the agendas of both the AU and SADC by promoting harmonisation and consolidation of efforts. This includes ensuring the signing and ratification of the AU legal instruments in addition to carrying out monitoring activities in the Region.
Ambassador Pierre further reiterated the importance of collaboration between SADC and African union in areas of peace and security stating clearly that there cannot be development without peace and security. He said that as part of its mandate, AU-SARO is committed to work with SADC and to support its efforts and programmes towards the achievement of economic development, peace and stability in the Region. To this end, there is a need to sit and discuss in order to collaborate so that the objectives of both AU-SARO and SADC can be achieved.
For his part, Brazilian Ambassador, H.E Lima congratulated H. E Mr Magosi for his recent appointment as the SADC Executive Secretary. He pledged to strengthen bilateral relations and economic ties with the Region. He cited maternal health, agriculture and technical area as potential for areas for collaboration.
H.E Magosi said SADC stands to learn a lot from Brazil in areas such as agriculture, research and technology and direct investment amongst others.
The two leaders affirmed their commitment to review the agreement signed several years back with a view to operationalise it so that they can closely work together and learn from each other.
