A unanimous decision was taken by regional leaders who attended that there was need to continue fostering political and economic stability to accelerate regional integration and industrialization.
The one-day summit drew participants from all 16 member states including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, DR Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Rwanda is not a member of SADC.
During the event, Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe, took over the SADC chairmanship from his Angolan counterpart, Joao Lourenco. He called on the region to unite and collaborate to advance the development agenda for the benefit of SADC citizens.
The SADC region, Mnangangwa explained, must deploy innovative strategies across all sectors of the economy to spur regional value chains, particularly focusing on value addition and beneficiation of the abundant mineral and natural resources in the region.
He stressed the need for the SADC region to fiercely protect its sovereignty and economic independence. He assured that, during his tenure, the SADC would actively pursue and implement projects and programs aimed at advancing regional development.
At the same time, the new SADC chair expressed gratitude to the regional bloc for its support during the two decades of Western sanctions against Zimbabwe, noting that many countries in the region resisted pressure from Western nations to abandon the southern African country.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to personally thank you all for the many years of your unwavering solidarity, support, and unbreakable fraternal relations with the Republic and people of Zimbabwe. This has been against the continued heinous sanctions imposed on our country, Zimbabwe, by some Western countries," Mnangagwa said.
"We are aware that various forms of undue pressure may have been exerted on you over the years to abandon us, yet you have remained resolute in the true spirit of our liberation wartime mantra that an injury to one is an injury to all," the president emphasized.
Several countries and organizations have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe over the years, mainly due to alleged human rights violations, political instability, and governance issues. Most of the countries and bodies have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwean officials and government entities in the country. The sanctions include travel bans and freezing of personal assets.
The countries and bodies that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe include the United States of America, the European Union (EU), United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
In 2019, SADC declared October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day, during which member countries engage in various activities to demonstrate solidarity with Zimbabwe and advocate for the unconditional removal of sanctions.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
