SADC Heads Of State adopt Industrilization Strategy

President of Zimbabwe and Chairman of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), H.E Robert Mugabe delivers an opening speech at the SADC Extra Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Vice President of The United Republic of Tanzania, H.E Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal (R) represented President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete at Summit.

Part of Heads of State and Government who attended the Summit follow up the opening statement. Right is the President of South Africa, H.E Jacob Zuma

A Cultural group entertains the Heads of State and Government and other delegates in the Conference hall. 

Heads of state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) today adopted an Industrial Development Strategy to leverage the region's resources for sustainable development The strategic plan and roadmap was developed by a Ministerial Task Force mandated by the Heads of State last August.

It is a three-phase programme emphasizing efficient use of resources, value edition, diversification and competitiveness to propel the region into a high tech industrial entity by 2063.

The summit directed secretariat to compile the requisite budget and the Ministerial Council to prepare implementation plan. The Heads of State also approved revision of the Indicative Regional Development Plan, which now gives industrial development top priority.Development of infrastructure, including energy, water, roads and railways and ICT is ranked second while peace and security is third, followed by social services.

The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, was represented by the Vice-President, Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal at the Summit, which was attended for the first time by newly elected Presidents Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Philip Nyusi of Mozambique, Hage Geingob of Namibia and Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

The Summit chaired by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was also attended by the President South Africa , Jacob Zuma, King Mswati of Swaziland and Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth.

The Heads of State and Government Further endorsed a plan to inaugurate  the tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) combining the SADC, EAC and COMESA blocks in June.

They agreed that the creation of a continental FTA earlier scheduled for 2017 be pushed back to 2020.

In her remarks to the Summit, the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, said the Industrial Development Plan would boost the region's gross product and income per capital.

Chairman Mugabe said member states should brace to finance the plan because western countries were unlikely to help. "Those who benefit from our underdevelopment cannot be expected to help us," he said.

He lamented that although SADC countries ranked highly in global mineral and agricultural output, more than two thirds of their population was below the poverty line.

President Mugabe formerly handed over the Regional Peace Training Centre (RPRC) facility to Dr. Tax as part of the Summit opening ceremony.

The facility for the training of military personnel, police and civilians has been donated to SADC by the Zimbabwe government.