Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary, Tomaz Salomao, has commended President Levy Mwanawasa for providing good leadership that would help accelerate the implementation of the regional body’s development agenda.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Gaborone today ahead of President Mwanawasa’s visit to the SADC secretariat on Thursday this week, Dr Salomao said since assuming the chairmanship of SADC in August last year, Dr. Mwanawasa has been working hard to provide the necessary guidance to the secretariat in meeting the set objectives of the regional economic body.
He said Dr. Mwanawasa has particularly been concerned with the need to launch the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) by August this year as agreed by the heads of state at their summit in Lusaka last year.
Dr. Salomao said during his visit, Dr. Mwanawasa would assess how ready the SADC secretariat was in implementing the FTA and other development programmes, which include the master plan on infrastructure development as well as issues of human and social development.
He said the president would meet the secretariat staff to encourage them to work hard in implementing the decisions of the SADC heads of state, which are aimed at enhancing regional integration.
He cited the establishment of the FTA by August 2008, the establishment of the common market by 2015, monetary union by 2016 and a regional single currency by 2018 as some of the key programmes.
“It is an ambitious programme and President Mwanawasa is constantly reminding us that time is not on our side. We need to fast track the implementation process if we are to be part of the global economy,” said Dr Salomao.
Dr. Salomao added that an audit carried out by an independent consultant recently showed that all the 14 SADC member states are ready for the launch of the FTA which is the first step to the envisaged objective of regional integration.
He called upon all member states to quickly ratify the protocol on free movement of people which he said was cardinal in the implementation of the FTA.
On the construction of the new SADC secretariat which President Mwanawasa is expected to inspect during his visit here, Dr. Salomao said the US$30 million project was on schedule.
He said once completed in May 2009, the new office complex would alleviate the current shortage of office accommodation the secretariat was experiencing.
“As you may be aware, the building that houses the SADC secretariat now belongs to the government of the Republic of Botswana and is not adequate to accommodate all our operatives who are scattered all over the city of Gaborone at the moment. It is for this reason that the SADC heads of state took a decision in 2004 to build a new office complex whose construction is now underway,” he explained.
Meanwhile,Government says the launch of the Customs Union by COMESA in August this year and the Free Trade Area by SADC will boost Zambia’s trade with member countries of both regional groupings.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Davison Chilimpamushi told ZANIS that the development will scale up mutually beneficial trade among member countries of both regional bodies.
Mr. Chilimpamushi pointed out that currently there are no problems Zambia is experiencing over her affiliation to both regional bodies.
He said Zambia remains a committed member of both COMESA and SADC.
Mr. Chilimpamushi explained that Cabinet is the only body that can decide on whether Zambia should continue with her dual membership or select one of the two regional bodies.
Mr. Chilimpamushi, however, maintained that there are more benefits of belonging to both regional bodies.
SADC has 14 member countries while COMESA is composed of 19 member States and Zambia is a member of both regional groupings.
Tomaz Salomao can be forgiven for extolling Levy Mwanawasa. His experience of Levy’s good leadership can be likened to a marriage this on the rocks inside but appears to be harmonious from outside. In my view the man cannot talk about good leadership, it anything it is the Zambian who feel the goodness or pain of Levy’s leadership. I wonder if the Zambians would concur with Tomaz Salomao’s views.