7 leaders arrive for Sadc summit
Seven heads of State and Government arrived Monday to participate in the 41st Ordinary Summit of Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders to be held today in Lilongwe.
The leaders included Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar, Botswana’s Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is also the Chairperson of Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
Other delegates included Namibia’s Vice President Nangolo Mbumba and Lesotho Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu.
Under Masisi’s chairmanship, Sadc recommended the standby force mission to Mozambique to address the problem of instability in Cabo Delgado Province.
Speaking on arrival at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA), Masisi said he expected to get an update on the security situation in Mozambique.
“I expect to get an update on the security situation but, since the launch of standby forces of Mozambique, the motivation level that I left was high,” he said.
The Republic of South Africa is expected to take over the chairmanship of the organ.
Sadc has a membership of 16 countries but Malawi Government officials announced that only nine confirmed their physical participation at the summit.
Apart from issues of peace and security, Sadc advances regional integration on issues of trade, food security, climate change management, health and gender.
The summit is being held under the theme ‘Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of Covid Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation’.
Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi is expected to hand over the leadership of the regional body to President Lazarus Chakwera today.
