The Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) have partnered to document the road SADC has travelled as SADC is set to commemorate its 40th Anniversary this year.
SARDC is an independent regional knowledge resource centre established in 1985 to strengthen regional policy perspectives and track implementation on a range of issues in southern Africa.
Under this partnership, SARDC will review publications, and interview various leaders, and other Stakeholders to bring to light the history of SADC and key achievements the region has made since 1980 when the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was formed as a loose alliance of nine majority-ruled States in Southern Africa, before eventually transforming into SADC in 1992, following the signing of the Declaration and Treaty by the Summit of Heads of State and Government in Windhoek, Namibia.
In her remarks during the meeting with the management of SARDC in Harare, Zimbabwe on 2nd March, 2020, the SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax commended SARDC for its long standing collaboration with SADC in enhancing knowledge management, and for partnering with the SADC Secretariat to document progress made in the last 40 years.
H.E. Dr Tax said, “SARDC continues to produce analytical and well-researched articles, enabling SADC citizens and other stakeholders to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the implementation of SADC’s regional developments, we commend you”.
The Executive Secretary expressed her commitment to ensure the successful completion of the publication to enable future generations to learn and appreciate the collective efforts and achievements that SADC has made in the last four decades of its existence.
On his part, the SARDC Executive Director, Mr Munetsi Mudakufamba said his organisation appreciates the strong partnership with SADC and is excited to undertake the research and document the road that SADC has travelled as part of the commemoration of SADC’s 40th Anniversary.
The SARDC Executive Director indicated that, SADC has made significant achievements in the last 40 years, including the collaborative regional efforts that helped to end apartheid in South Africa and the eventual independence of Namibia.
In addition to the publication to be produced by SADC in collaboration with SARDC, a number of activities will be undertaken with the aim of raising awareness about SADC’s 40 years of development and regional integration agenda. These activities will include, but not limited to, public lectures, private sector engagement, video and coordinated social media awareness raising activities.
