Participatory democracy an essential prerequisite in SADC – Nyusi

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Participatory democracy an essential prerequisite in SADC – Nyusi

11:49 CAT | 11 Aug 2020

File photo: DW

The President of Mozambique, the country which will take over the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) next Monday, considers participatory democracy an essential prerequisite in the region.

“After 40 years of existence of our organisation [SADC], we continue to make efforts to leverage economic growth that is sustainable and equitable for the citizens of the Member States,” reads a message from Filipe Nyusi on the occasion of the 40th Summit of Heads of State and Government and the 40th anniversary of the founding of SADC.

For the Mozambican head of state, sustainable and equitable economic growth in the region requires an approach to democratic and participatory integration, an “essential prerequisite” for the development of a regional value chain.

Mozambique will on Monday (17-08) take over the SADC chairmanship at the organisation’s annual summit, which this year takes place in a virtual format because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This summit coincides with the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the founding of our regional organisation, and takes place in a context and circumstances in which our countries need to redouble their efforts to implement the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the goals defined in the African Union Agenda 2063,” President Nyusi’s message reads.

The meetings started this Monday (10.08) with the meeting of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials and end on Friday (14.08), with the summit of the ‘troika’ that manages the organisation.

Summit next Monday

The current SADC troika consists of John Magufuli, president of Tanzania, as the Chairperson of SADC; his predecessor Hage Geingob, President of Namibia as the Outgoing Chairperson, and Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique as the Incoming Chairperson.

The summit of heads of state and government will take place next Monday (17.08). Mozambique last hosted a SADC summit, chaired by former head of state Armando Guebuza, in 2012.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the summit will be broadcast live on Mozambique Television (TVM).

The SADC is made up of 16 member states, established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), and in August 1992 transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The organisation aims to promote the region’s socio-economic growth and development with the aim of assuming “a more competitive and effective role in international relations and in the world economy”.

South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are SADC member states.

Source: Deutsche Welle