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Southern Africa Today Southern Africa today 2020 SADC ToDAy Vol 23 No. 1 DeCember today 2020 frica uNE A O. 4 J Ol 22 N ODAy V Southern SADC T response OVID-19 C lidarity SADC so pealed to Member States to remain vigilant and address the socio-economic impact of the pandemic has reinforced the virus as a united region. THE COVID-19 The Council urged SADC Member States resolve by SADC Member States to strengthen to source medical equipment and supplies the response mechanisms at both the Member from within the region and to engage private State and the regional levels for disaster risk sector to re-direct some of the manufacturing reduction and management. towards production of Personal Protective At its virtual meeting held on 29 May, the Equipment (PPEs), to facilitate the regional SADC Council of Ministers urged Member response to COVID-19. States to accelerate the operationalisation and For this purpose, the SADC Secretariat implementation of regional strategies and in- will disseminate a list of the manufacturers struments aimed at responding to crises. of essential medical equipment and supplies The Chairperson of the Council of Minis- needed to address COVID-19 and will estab- ters, Hon. Prof. Palamagamba John Kabudi, lish an online platform to facilitate easy ac- who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the cess to information about the manufacturers United Republic of Tanzania, called for the 3 and suppliers. strengthening of solidarity and unity to ad- Council received the preliminary report LICY 4 dress the socio-economic impact of the pan- on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 PO E OWLEDG demic in the region. NOUS KN and its implications for the region, and noted INDIGE 5 Prof. Kabudi called on the SADC region to that the pandemic will have short, medium MENT transform the COVID-19 crisis into an oppor- ENVIRON 6 and long-term negative impact on all social tunity by expanding the medical and pharma- and economic sectors, given its crosscutting ERSITY BIODIV ION 7 ceutical industry, which in turn would create nature. NSERVAT NTIER CO jobs and boost the economy. The Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers re- ANSFRO -9 TR 8 “It must be noted that COVID-19 is likely sponsible for Agriculture and Food Security, ENERGY 10 to remain with us for a considerable period of Fisheries and Aquaculture held virtually on time,” the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Ster- 22 May noted that COVID-19 would lead to ER GEND 11 gomena Tax said in her address to Council. a decline in the nutrition status of the vulner- “We therefore, need to understand it, and TRADE 12 able population due to inadequate access to learn how to live with it by putting in place food, increase in household food insecurity, CTIONS the needed preventive and curative mea- ELE 13 inadequate access to health, continuednutrition on andpage 2... RITY ND SECU sures.” water, sanitation and hygiene services. PEACE A 14 Dr Tax said the COVID-19 pandemic has E HERITAG 15 brought multiple challenges and responsibili- ties that require extra-ordinary and innovative EVENTS 16 approaches to doing business, and she ap- TODAY HISTORY Southern Africa today SADC ToDAy Vol 22 No. 5 AuguST 2020 “SADC – 40 Years Building Peace and Security, Promoting Development and Resilience to Face Global Challenges” SADC holds first virtual Summit by Kizito Sikuka THE 40TH SADC Summit scheduled for Ma- This article looks at some of the major issues puto, Mozambique in August will for the first to be discussed by the 40th SADC Summit. time in history be held in a virtual format. This is due to health measures and travel Coordinated response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions imposed by most Member States Extraordinary times call for extraordinary mea- in response to the novel coronavirus that sures. causes the disease commonly known as As such, one of the priorities at Summit Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). will be how SADC Member States can com- Described as the most serious health emer- bat the coronavirus which has not only dis- gency in generations by the World Health Or- rupted the implementation of various ganisation, the pandemic has affected the regional activities and projects, but also POLICY 3 global socio-economic landscape and resulted caused the loss of lives. in the loss of many lives. In this regard, the Summit is expected to SADC FOUNDERS 4 In response to safety measures, the 2020 explore ways on how Member States could SADC Summit will be coordinated from invest more resources in strengthening their GENDER 5 Mozambique with other Heads of State and public health systems, and implement mea- Government linking up via Video Conferenc- sures to curtail the spread of the virus. AGRICULTURE 6-7 ing Technology from their various capitals. For example, Member States that are be- The fact that the region has managed to ginning to reopen their economies as well as convene the 40th SADC Summit in a virtual air travel and land borders should observe SADC@40 8-9 format is commendable, and a demonstration and enforce strict anti-coronavirus standards of SADC’s ability to move in unison and con- such as social distancing at workplaces, reg- TRADE 10-11 quer challenges no matter the magnitude of a ular health screenings and wearing of masks challenge. at all times. PEACE & SECURITY 12-13 Running under the theme “SADC: 40 Years It is also critical for countries to put in place Building Peace and Security, Promoting Develop- vibrant social protection measures to cushion CLIMATE CHANGE 14 ment and Resilience to Face Global Challenges”, the population from the effects of loss of in- the virtual summit will be held under a re- come, particularly due to the economic lock- EVENTS 15 duced agenda to allow the leaders to focus on down imposed by a number of countries in the critical issues in the region. response to the pandemic. HISTORY TODAY 16 2020 in Retrospect continued on page 2... …the year SADC showed resilience, solidarity, courage against COVID-19 Another important intervention was the by Kizito Sikuka development of Regional Guidelines on Harmonization and Facilitation of Cross 2020 may go down in history as THe yeAr Border Transport Operations to facilitate the the year when the “earth stood still” after the movement of essential goods and services world was hit by the Coronavirus 2019 during the lockdowns. (COVID-19) at the end of the pervious year, The guidelines were approved in June forcing many countries including SADC and seek to balance, realign, harmonise and Member States to impose socio-economic coordinate the response measures for lockdowns and other restrictions. COVID-19 with the requirements for trade While the lockdowns helped to ease and and transport facilitation, including the contain the spread of the virus, the impact promotion of safe transport and trade for on the economy was severe and the spread economic growth and poverty alleviation. of the virus resulted in the loss of many lives. This resilience shown by SADC Member However, SADC Member States showed States in 2020 was not confined to the resilience, solidarity and courage to POLICY 3 containment of COVID-19 but extended to 4 overcome this new challenge to regional other sectors such as industrialization and ENERGY development and integration. 5 trade, peace and security. GENDER SADC approved a variety of measures On its long-term development agenda, including the strengthening of public health AGRICULTURE 6 SADC leaders approved the SADC Vision and humanitarian support systems to 2050, which sets out the aspirations of the CLIMATE CHANGE 7 contain the spread of the COVID-19. region until 2050, and the Regional 8-9 SADC EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT Most SADC Member States channelled Indicative Strategic Development Plan 10 some of their resources to affected key (RISDP 2020-30). COVID-19 economic sectors such as tourism, aviation 11 Both documents were approved by the COOPERATION and manufacturing to cushion the 40th SADC Summit held virtually on 17 PEACE & SECURITY 12-13 debilitating effects of the pandemic and August and coordinated from Maputo, 14 ensure that they maintain their Mozambique. ELECTIONS competitiveness. 15 EVENTS continued on page 2... HISTORY TODAY 16 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The SADC Vision 2050 is He also convened a regional based on a firm foundation of meeting in May to discuss the se- peace, security and good gover- curity situation in northern nance, with three priority pillars Mozambique, and a second of industrial development and meeting convened in November market integration; infrastructure by the current Chairperson of the development in support of re- Organ, President Mokgweetsi gional integration; and social and Masisi of Botswana, agreed to de- human capital development. velop a comprehensive regional In a departure from the previ- response to the situation in which ous regional strategic plans, the an armed insurgency has caused RISDP 2020-30 incorporates the violent deaths and destruction. Strategic Indicative Plan for the SADC Member States contin- On 25 October, SADC Mem- To improve the management Organ on Politics, Defence, and ued to monitor the security situ- ber States once again showed of water, energy and food is- Security Cooperation (SIPO) ation in northern Mozambique solidarity with Zimbabwe in sues, SADC Ministers responsi- rather than a separate strategic and discussed this further at a opposing the imposition of eco- ble for Energy and Water plan. Double Troika meeting in early nomic sanctions on the country approved the Water-Energy- In support of trade and mar- December, hosted in Maputo by by the US Congress. SADC Food (WEF) Nexus Framework ket integration, SADC continued the current SADC Chairperson, leaders said the illegal sanctions which highlights the interde- to register positive results in the President Filipe Nyusi.
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