Didier Mazenga Mukanzu new Chairperson of SADC Council of Ministers

The SADC Council of Ministers meeting started today in Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo, ahead of the SADC Heads of State and Government meeting which will take place on 17-18 August 2022. The DRC's Minister of Regional Integration and Francophonie Didier Mazenga Mukanzu took over the Chairship of the SADC Council of Ministers from Nancy Gladys Tembo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malawi. In handing over the Chairship, Ms Tembo expressed gratitude to members of the SADC Council of Ministers for their commitment and strong desire to progress towards regional integration in order to collectively realise the SADC Vision 2050 of a peaceful, inclusive, competitive region where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice and freedom. While acknowledging the achievements in the past year, the outgoing Chairperson of the Council urged the Member States to work diligently and collectively to make a difference in the lives of people in the Region by addressing the contemporary challenges facing the region, which include the COVID-19 pandemic, Climate Change and smoothening cross-border operational procedures, and improving infrastructure to support the SADC Industrialisation Agenda. In his acceptance speech, Mr Mukanzu said the DRC will continue to champion suitable solutions to industrial development in the region, through sustainable utilisation of the region's diversified natural resources and boosting investment to spur regional development. Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of SADC, Mr Elias Magosi underscored the need for the SADC region to remain vigilant against exogenous shocks such as climate change, resulting in frequent recurrence of extreme climatic events like droughts, cyclones and floods and the adverse impacts of the geo-political tensions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The SADC Council of Ministers is an institution of SADC that oversees the functioning and development of SADC and ensures that SADC policies and programmes are properly implemented.

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