International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, has commended the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for taking steps towards regional stability and economic integration.
The minister was speaking at the SADC Council of Ministers meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, which sets the stage for the 44th Heads of State and Government Summit that starts on Friday.
The summit will focus on promoting innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an industrialised SADC.
Leading South Africa’s delegation, Lamola, accompanied, by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, engaged in discussions centred on the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2025. The RISDP is a blueprint that promotes regional economic growth, integration, and industrialisation, underpinned by a climate of peace and stability.
“We are heartened by the steady progress our region is making in implementing the RISDP for 2020-2030,” said Lamola.
He emphasised the importance of the foundational pillar of peace and security, acknowledging ongoing challenges in northern Mozambique and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, while commending efforts to restore stability.
The Council of Ministers also reviewed the secretariat’s capacity-building initiatives in conflict mediation, underscoring the region’s commitment to peace.
Lamola said there was a need to bolster early-warning capacity to pre-empt conflicts and address root causes to develop effective mitigation strategies.
Significant achievements were noted, including a 21% increase in intra-SADC trade to gross domestic product in 2023, and that the region had attracted US$6 billion in foreign direct investment.
Infrastructure developments, such as one-stop border posts and smart integrated economic corridor management tools, were highlighted as key drivers of regional progress.
However, the ministers noted in the meeting that challenges remained as the overall implementation score for the RISDP was 5.6 out of 10, reflecting the impact of global shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and international conflicts.
Lamola called for renewed efforts to tackle these setbacks and improve social and human capital development.
Looking ahead, South Africa assumes the G20 presidency in 2025, marking the first time the summit will be hosted on African soil.
Under the theme, ‘Fostering Solidarity, Equality and Sustainable Development’, South Africa aims to highlight the economic and development challenges facing developing countries, particularly in Africa.
Lamola outlined the country’s stance on critical issues, including regional food and nutrition security, the re-establishment of the Mining Ministerial Forum and the implementation of the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063.
“South Africa and the region cannot afford to continue to export their raw minerals to faraway countries, only to import beneficiated consumer products at inflated prices. Value addition and commercialisation of our critical minerals must be at the core of our industrialisation strategy,” Lamola said. – SAnews.gov.za
