On 8 October 2015 in Tunis, Tunisia and 4 November 2015 in Milan, Italy, the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS) was granted signatory status to Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) for Testing (ISO/IEC 17025) and Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025). With this achievement the accreditation certificates issued by SADCAS for testing and calibration accreditation programs are now internationally recognised thus enhancing the acceptance of products across national borders and removing the need for retesting of products traded internationally.
In paying tribute to all those who contributed towards this achievement Mrs Maureen Mutasa, the SADCAS Chief Executive Officer quoted from an African saying, "When we stand tall it is because we stand on the shoulders of those that have gone before us, and those that surround us", she added. She thanked "Team SADCAS" for their dedication towards goal achievement, the assessors who were witnessed during the evaluations for their professionalism and competence, and the SADCAS Board of Directors for their support and encouragement throughout the rigorous evaluation process. She also paid tribute to SANAS who through the Twinning Partnership Arrangement entered into in 2009, facilitated the transfer of accreditation skills to the SADCAS assessors, management and staff. Many thanks also go to the professional team of ILAC and AFRAC evaluators who timeously executed the evaluation and last but not least to PTB Germany who fully funded the peer evaluation of SADCAS.
SADCAS is a multi-economy accreditation body established in terms of Article 15 B of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Annex to the SADC Protocol on Trade as an authoritative body providing oversight on conformity assessment service providers (calibration/testing/medical laboratories, certification and inspection bodies) operating in SADC Member States which do not have national accreditation bodies. In October 2013, SADCAS had submitted its applications to join the African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA).
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