SADC Standing Committee Officials meeting

The SADC Standing Committee of Officials meeting started on August 10, 2015 at Gaborone International Convention Center (GICC) in Botswana where it will be underway until August 12, 2015.

SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Dr Thembinkosi Mhlongo welcomed the delegates to the meeting.

Ambassador J. Bimha, Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Zimbabwe and Outgoing Chairperson of the Standing Committee, bade farewell to the gathering, thanking all for their support to him during his tenure of office. He gave a summary of the achievements attained during his chairpersonship, which he said would not have been possible without their support and that of the Secretariat.

Accepting the mantle, Dr Taufila Nyamadzabo, Secretary for Economic and Financial Policy Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and SADC National Contact Point and Chairperson of the Standing Committee of Officials and welcomed the delegates to Botswana. Delivering his opening remarks, Dr Nyamadzabo expressed, with enthusiasm, the commitment of Botswana to do its best to achieve more on the SADC Regional Integration Agenda.

The Standing Committee of Senior Officials is a technical advisory Committee with a mandate to serve as the clearing house of the agenda of the Council of Ministers. It consists of one Permanent/Principal Secretary, or an official of equivalent rank from each Member State, preferably from a Ministry responsible for Economic Planning or Finance. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee are appointed from the Member States holding the SADC Chairpersonship and Vice-Chairpersonship, of the Council of Ministers.

SADC Executive, Dr Stergomena L. Tax and SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration Ms Emilie A. Mushobekwa also attended the meeting.

Photos by Felicity Male