The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe on 25th April, 2023 signed the Inter-Governmental Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the establishment of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), becoming the fourth Member State to sign the Agreement after Mozambique, Namibia and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Honourable J. G. Moyo, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing who is also the Minister responsible for Disaster Risk Management signed the Agreement on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe and emphasized the importance of well-coordinated and robust preparedness and response capacities for the region, so that Member States can be supported in times of disasters.
Hon. Moyo highlighted that Zimbabwe saw it pertinent to sign the Agreement in light of the impetus of disasters in the SADC region, particularly the Tropical Cyclone Idai and other disasters which devastated the SADC region, compounding the economic challenges and making it harder for Member States to recover and build back.
The Minister said Zimbabwe strongly advocates the notion of Member States supporting each other, citing the support that SADC Member States, including Zimbabwe, provided to Malawi’s response efforts in the aftermath of the recent Tropical Cyclone Freddy in March 2023. On this note, the Minister applauded the gesture by the leadership of His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe for convening a national indaba which included the Government, the Private Sector and national and international non-governmental organisations to coordinate Zimbabwe’s support to Malawi.
The SADC Council of Ministers meeting held in August 2019, in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania directed the Secretariat to develop regional Disaster Preparedness and Response Mechanisms including the establishment of the SHOC to the coordinate regional disaster risk preparedness, response and early recovery to support Member States affected by disasters.
The United Republic of Tanzania was the first SADC Member State to sign the Agreement on 23rd February, 2023 folloing the signing of the Agreement by Hon. George Simbachawene, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office: Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled in the United Republic of Tanzania. The Republic of Namibia became the second Member State to sign when Honourable. Netumbo Nandi- Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Internal Relations and Cooperation, and Minister responsible Disaster Risk Management in the Republic of Namibia signed the Agreement on 14th march, 2023. The third Member State to sign the Agreement was the Republic of Mozambique and it was signed by Honourable Veronica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Minister responsible Disaster Risk Management in the Republic of Mozambique.
The establishment of SHOC comes against the background of destructive cyclones in the SADC region which have occurred in the face of food insecurity situation, lack of household income and increasing commodity prices, thereby worsening people's vulnerabilities.
The SHOC which is hosted by the Republic of Mozambique in Nacala, Mozambique was launched on 21 June 2021 by His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique and the then Chairperson of SADC and His Excellency Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana and Chairperson of SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation at the time.
