President Chakwera speaking at the summit
By Mphatso Nkuonera, MANA in Maputo
President Lazarus Chakwera — who is in Maputo, Mozambique for the Southern African Development Community’s extraordinary meeting of Heads of State and Governments — has appealed for unity and peace within the regional grouping in order to achieve development.
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Chakwera, who arrived in Maputo on Wednesday for the summit that also celebrates SADC’s 40th anniversary, said “as Africans, we must work together, and SADC as a regional economic block, let’s continue making strides by solving problems collaboratively and collectively”.
“We have worked together to be a model of a continuing integration and we have successfully shown our bond that goes beyond diplomacy on trade and many other areas,” Chakwera said.
The Heads of State
He applauded the outgoing SADC chairperson, President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi and chairperson of the Troika SADC on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Keabetswe Masisi, for their commitment to ensure that there was peace in the region during their tenures of office.
“I must thank you for taking a step to strengthen resilience and responsiveness to disasters. Under your leadership you have made ensured there is peace at all times in the face of themost securitychallenges.”
Chakwera took advantage of the meeting to formally invite SADC Heads of State and Governments to the 41st SADC Summit to be hosted by Malawi and assured the member states that the government and people of Malawi are ready to serve.
Welcome in Maputo by Foreign Affairs Minister Eisenhower Mkaka
“I pledge to be of service, and I therefore invite you all that you come to Malawi for the 41st Summit in August, 2021,” he said.
The Summit was held at Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre where four key issues took center stage namely peace and security, energy, food and CoVID-19 status in the region.
Officially opening the summit earlier, Mozambique President Nyusi lauded member states for the unity that has been shown in combating fighting in Cabo Delgado.
A tribute to former Zambia President, late Kenneth Kaunda
“I appeal to you all that we should work hand in hand to fight against Covid 19 pandemic which continue to cause a lot of trouble in our region.
“We should take Nacala corridor as a very important cable of development in the region, which was launched as an operation centre for humanitarian response for all emergencies,” he said.
SADC Executive Secretary, Stergomena Lawrence Tax said among other the summit was impressed with the strides it is taking to provide solutions to some challenges existing in the region.
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