30th March 2017: A delegation of Parliamentarians from Canada visited the Secretariat of Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 30th March 2017 to get an understanding of programmes implemented by SADC and an update on what was happening in the region.
The seven-member delegation was accompanied by His Excellence Kumar Gupta the Ambassador of Canada responsible for Canada’s relations with Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe and SADC.
The delegation was received by the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary responsible for Regional Integration Dr. Thembinkosi Mhlongo and they later visited the Directorate on Organ for Politics, Defence and Security to get more information on the operations of the Directorate.
Dr Mhlongo briefed the delegation on SADC programmes with a specific focus on priorities under the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020 and SADC Industrialization Strategy 2015-2063.
Dr Mhlongo added that getting the macroeconomic policy environment right, positioning industrialization at the centre of development, building capabilities to underpin transformation and strengthening competitive production set-ups, were among the issues to be addressed as the region geared towards industrialization.
Ambassador Gupta commended the SADC Secretariat for its role in facilitating regional cooperation and integration and progress in the advancement of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, human rights and fundamental freedoms. He added that having well-governed Member states that respected the rights of its citizens was critical to the realization of economic growth and human well-being.
