Southern African Development Community (SADC) council of ministers meeting,
Cape Town
26 February 2009
Executive Secretary of SADC Dr Tomaz Salamao
Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Your Excellencies Ambassadors and High Commissioners
Senior officials and distinguished delegates
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
It is indeed a great privilege and honour for me to welcome you all on
behalf of our President and Chairperson of Southern African Development
Community (SADC), Kgalema Motlanthe, the government and people of South Africa,
as well as on my own behalf, to the city of Cape Town or the mother city as it
is popularly known. We meet in a city rich in its cultural heritage, the home
of the Khoi-San people. Cape Town is also one of the cities where the fruits of
freedom were harvested in the shadows of the famous Table Mountain by prisoners
of conscience banished to Robben Island. Lest we forget that Cape Town too is
one of the 2010 FIFA World Cup host cities. I hope you will take time off your
busy schedule to visit the many delights this city offers.
Let me also cease the opportunity to thank our senior officials and the SADC
secretariat for the sterling work they were engaged in over the past few days.
I am certain that the fruits of their labour will enrich our deliberations.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
South Africa assumed the chair of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) in August 2008 against the milieu of a number of important political
developments least of all developments in Zimbabwe, Lesotho and the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the Economic Agreement Partnership (EPA) negotiations and
lately the situation in Madagascar.
As SADC we can today proudly state that we have played a major role in
facilitating the political solution to the situation in Zimbabwe leading to the
formation of an inclusive government in terms of the global political agreement
among the Zimbabwean political parties.
In this regard, we cannot but express our gratitude to the SADC Facilitator,
Former President Thabo Mbeki and his team for the sterling work done in
assisting the people of Zimbabwe to address their political challenges.
It is our view that the formation of an inclusive government has indeed
paved the way for the people of Zimbabwe to begin the process of national
reconciliation, economic recovery and reconstruction and development. As SADC
and indeed the rest of the international community is to help the people of
Zimbabwe in their endeavour to address their economic challenges as well as the
humanitarian crisis facing their country. Accordingly, as the international
community we must create an enabling environment for the Zimbabwean people to
succeed by among others lifting the sanctions imposed on the country.
As SADC we will continue to work with the government and people of the
Democratic Republic of Congo in their efforts to address the challenges that
have arisen in the Eastern part of the country.
We will indeed continue to work with the government and people of Madagascar
in their endeavour to address current challenges facing their country with a
view to ensuring peace and stability reign in this country.
As SADC, we cannot ignore the impact of the global financial and economic
crisis facing the world. Indeed and unless urgent steps are taken to address
the impact of these global crisis, the progress that our region has made over
the years towards integration will be slowed down.
In this regard, SADC has to guard against complacency about the impact of
the global financial crisis on our economies. In fact, the broader
international economic environment for developing countries has deteriorated
sharply, and since October 2008 the financial stresses have shifted rapidly
towards our economies.
The cost of external borrowing has risen considerably and capital inflows
are reversing. Both currency and commodity markets have become extremely
volatile, with the exchange rate depreciating at an alarming pace in several
countries and prices of primary commodities tumbling. Export growth is
decelerating and the current-account balances of many of countries have shifted
back into a rising deficit. The challenges posed by the global financial
situation require all of us to be more united in our resolve collectively to
find ways to mitigate the effects thereof.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
Our region also faces the potentially fragmentary impact of the Interim
European Partnership Agreement (IEPA) on the integration agenda of SADC.
The question to be asked is whether the four sets of separate trade
relations and regimes SADC member states have will enhance or complicate
efforts to build a single trade regime within the region and between the region
and the EU or other dynamic emerging economies. Equally important is to
interrogate whether the developmental agenda of SADC is enhanced by the
process.
As we gather here today to deliberate upon matters of regional importance
let us do so mindful of the expectations of our people and the promises we have
made to provide them with equal opportunities, and full participation in the
political social and economic processes in our countries.
As a community of nations we have to work together in confronting various
challenges such as those of political and socio-economic nature including the
communicable and preventable diseases as well as epidemics such as malaria,
cholera, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS etc, elimination of barriers to trade and
investment, stabilisation of unstable political situations in order to create a
conducive environment for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
I am reminded of the upcoming elections that will take place in some of our
Member States during this year. 2009 will witness elections that will take
place in Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and
Mauritius to mention but a few. I am convinced that these elections will
provide not only the countries concerned but also the SADC region with reason
to celebrate our commitment to democracy, peace and good political and economic
governance.
As we conduct these elections let us live to the promises we have made to
our people of ensuring their full participation in the political processes and
observe the principles and guidelines governing to ensure success of
humanitarian assistance.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
We hope that the facilities that we have put at your disposal within our
limited means will afford you all with an opportunity to proceed smoothly,
produce the outcomes expected of us by our people as we strive to improve their
lives. We also hope that the hospitality extended will be to your
satisfaction.
May I, therefore, once again welcome you to Cape Town and wish us all
fruitful deliberations.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
26 February 2009
