The Executive Secretary, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax and Ms. Jutta Zinnel, GIZ Executive Director for Southern Africa met on 03rd November 2015, during Ms. Zinnel’s working visit to Gaborone. The purpose of the visit was to discuss current developments regarding the German Technical Cooperation with SADC and discuss the way forward.
The Executive Secretary reaffirmed the good working relations existing between SADC and the International Cooperating Partners, which are guided by the principles enshrined in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Windhoek Declaration on a New Partnership between SADC and the International Cooperating Partners.
She outlined the major developments in the SADC Region, notably the revision of the RISDP (2015 – 2020) and the preparation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015 – 2063), as well as the Regional Agricultural Policy Implementation Management Plan.
Dr. Tax welcomed the Executive Director’s visit as an important step towards strengthening the long and successful cooperation between SADC and GIZ. She expressed appreciation for the contribution of GIZ in various areas, including on: communication and visibility of SADC success stories, as well as the strengthening of linkages between the regional and national levels in implementing the SADC agenda.
During the same meeting, Ms. Zinnel noted the importance of coordination between national and regional development priorities, and the need for the two sides to develop a coherent approach on strengthening regional-national linkages, with the involvement of SADC Member States.
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of their cooperation and undertook to continue to work together in planning and implementing a joint GIZ-SADC programme, underpinned by the priorities articulated in the Revised RISDP (2015 – 2020).
Dr. Tax was accompanied by the Deputy Executive Secretary – Regional Integration, Dr. Thembinkosi Mhlongo, the Director of Policy, Planning and Resource Mobilisation, Dr. Angelo Mondlane and the Director of the Organ, Mr. Jorge Cardoso. Ms. Zinnel was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Botswana, H.E. Rolf Ulrich, Ms. Jana Schlegel, Counsellor Cooperation at the German Embassy, and the GIZ Country Director for Botswana, Mr. Jochen Quinten.
