The Deputy Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for Corporate Affairs, Dr. Judith Kateera, has called for prudent use of financial resources to advance the SADC regional integration agenda.
Dr. Kateera made the call on 24th February 2026 in Gaborone, Botswana, at the opening of the Validation Workshop for the Draft SADC Budget Manual and Investment Policy. The two documents will be presented to the forthcoming meetings of the Finance Sub-Committee and Finance Committee for consideration before presenting them for approval by the SADC Council of Ministers at its meeting scheduled for 12-13 March 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa.
“We must safeguard resources entrusted to us, optimize usage of available resources prudently, and ensure that our budgeting processes are disciplined, transparent, and strategically aligned with our mandate. Sound financial governance is not an administrative exercise - it is a strategic imperative,” stressed Dr. Kateera, whose portfolio provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Secretariat's administrative, financial, and support functions.
She urged the participants to ensure that the two documents are robust, future-ready, user-friendly, and fully aligned with Secretariat’s mandate and that the documents safeguard resources, enhance transparency, and strengthen the Secretariat’s long-term financial resilience.
Once approved by the Council of Ministers, the SADC Investment Policy will guide in prudent treasury management of SADC Secretariat’s idle or surplus financial resources arising from Member State contributions, including Special Funds, prioritising capital preservation, liquidity, and risk-adjusted returns. The Budget Manual seeks to promote financial discipline by clearly defining roles and responsibilities, facilitating effective resource allocation, and providing a framework for performance tracking against financial goals.
During the workshop the SADC Draft Budget Manual and Investment Policy will be presented for validation, allowing participants to identify and address any outstanding technical issues, inconsistencies and gaps and ensure that they are aligned to the SADC Financial Regulations, the SADC Treaty, and established Secretariat procedures.
Facilitated by DPC & Associates, a corporate development consulting company, the Workshop has drawn participants from Directorates and Units at the SADC Secretariat.
The two documents have been developed with support from the European Union through the Extended Institutional and Capacity Building (EICB) Project to the tune of Euros 2.5 million. The EICB aims at accelerating the implementation of the RISDP 2020-30 through targeted capacity building initiatives at the SADC Secretariat and Member States.
