SADC marks 25 years, urges action on poverty

By: *ALISTAIR THOMSON

GABORONE - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) marked its 25th birthday yesterday with a call for more action and not just words to tackle chronic problems like poverty and drought.

SADC has adopted a string of agreements on subjects ranging from

fighting crime to protecting the environment and plans to create a

regional monetary union by 2020, but critics say little action has

followed the promises.

Crisis-hit Zimbab­we, which analysts say marks one of the

toughest challenges for the regional grouping, remains off the

agenda at the two-day summit in Botswana's capital Gaborone.

 

"A number of protocols have been signed, ratified and come into

force but are gathering dust on our shelves," Botswana President

Festus Mogae, who assumed the revolving chair of SADC, said in a

prepared speech.

 

"We need to strengthen and revitalise SADC into a strong

organisation that can be an instrument of decisively fighting

poverty, unemployment and insecurity," he said.

 

The SADC was first formed in 1980 with nine members in a bid to

help newly independent Zimbabwe and nearby countries reduce their

economic dependence on apartheid South Africa.

 

Today democratic South Africa is the economic powerhouse of an

organisation grouping 13 countries and numbering more than 200

million people in a region where political stability has largely

replaced the armed conflict of the past.

 

Madagascar is set to be accepted as its 14th member at the

summit.

 

But progress promoting trade between member states to raise

economic growth and create jobs has been slow.

 

"SADC ...

 

needs to investigate the root causes of under development and

find concrete solutions," said outgoing chairman Navin Ramgoolam,

prime minister of Mauritius.

 

One of the most urgent items on the agenda is tackling chronic

drought that this year threatens to leave 10 million people across

southern Africa short of food.

 

"In many of our countries, including my own country Botswana,

the frequency of drought far surpasses years of good rainfall,"

Mogae said.

 

"This is a harsh reality we have to collectively confront in a

decisive and systematic manner.

 

Otherwise we shall be caught in a never-ending cycle."

 

Analysts say another cloud casting a shadow over the summit is

political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe - though officials say it

will not be discussed at the meeting.

 

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe sat at yesterday's opening

ceremony between Mogae and South African President Thabo Mbeki,

whose countries bear much of the burden of an influx of Zimbabweans

fleeing economic crisis in their homeland.

 

South Africa is negotiating a bailout loan to help Zimbabwe pay

off arrears to the International Monetary Fund while Harare grows

increasingly isolated from Western donors over its razing of

shantytowns which the United Nations says has stripped 700 000

Zimbabweans of home or livelihood.

 

- Nampa-Reuters

 

Crisis-hit Zimbab­we, which analysts say marks one of the

toughest challenges for the regional grouping, remains off the

agenda at the two-day summit in Botswana's capital Gaborone."A

number of protocols have been signed, ratified and come into force

but are gathering dust on our shelves," Botswana President Festus

Mogae, who assumed the revolving chair of SADC, said in a prepared

speech."We need to strengthen and revitalise SADC into a strong

organisation that can be an instrument of decisively fighting

poverty, unemployment and insecurity," he said.The SADC was first

formed in 1980 with nine members in a bid to help newly independent

Zimbabwe and nearby countries reduce their economic dependence on

apartheid South Africa.Today democratic South Africa is the

economic powerhouse of an organisation grouping 13 countries and

numbering more than 200 million people in a region where political

stability has largely replaced the armed conflict of the

past.Madagascar is set to be accepted as its 14th member at the

summit.But progress promoting trade between member states to raise

economic growth and create jobs has been slow."SADC ...needs to

investigate the root causes of under development and find concrete

solutions," said outgoing chairman Navin Ramgoolam, prime minister

of Mauritius.One of the most urgent items on the agenda is tackling

chronic drought that this year threatens to leave 10 million people

across southern Africa short of food."In many of our countries,

including my own country Botswana, the frequency of drought far

surpasses years of good rainfall," Mogae said."This is a harsh

reality we have to collectively confront in a decisive and

systematic manner.Otherwise we shall be caught in a never-ending

cycle."Analysts say another cloud casting a shadow over the summit

is political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe - though officials say

it will not be discussed at the meeting.Zimbabwe's President Robert

Mugabe sat at yesterday's opening ceremony between Mogae and South

African President Thabo Mbeki, whose countries bear much of the

burden of an influx of Zimbabweans fleeing economic crisis in their

homeland.South Africa is negotiating a bailout loan to help

Zimbabwe pay off arrears to the International Monetary Fund while

Harare grows increasingly isolated from Western donors over its

razing of shantytowns which the United Nations says has stripped

700 000 Zimbabweans of home or livelihood.- Nampa-Reuters

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