by Innocent Mujeri
SADC has reiterated its call for the unconditional removal of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe saying that this is not only beneficial to the country, but to the entire regional bloc.
This was said yesterday by the outgoing SADC chairperson, Tanzanian President, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, during his address to the 40th SADC Ordinary Summit Heads of States and Government that was virtually hosted by Mozambique.
“It is my strong belief that our nations will benefit if sanctions on Zimbabwe are lifted. It will offer an invaluable contribution not only to Zimbabwe but to the entire continent. These are some of the achievements we have been able to achieve during the past year,” Dr Magufuli said.
President Magufuli said that last year, the regional bloc took a noble stance to collectively denounce and lobby for the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the Western countries saying these sanctions had caused untold suffering on the people of Zimbabwe.
“During the 39th summit, we (SADC) passed the resolution to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe, which were imposed since 2001. In that resolution we approved October 25 of every year to be a special day against sanctions in Zimbabwe where member states will be conducting various activities including preparing dialogues and declarations against the sanctions on Zimbabwe,” said President Magufuli.
The outgoing SADC chairperson applauded Member States for standing in solidarity with Zimbabwe by collectively denouncing sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
President Magufuli and SADC executive secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, all praised President Emmerson Mnangagwa for displaying exemplary leadership during his tenure as the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation (SADC Troika).
Dr Magufuli said President Mnangagwa worked hard in finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts that were happening in different SADC countries.
“For the past year, the issue of security continued to reign in our community with some of the conflicts in our area including DRC and Lesotho. It is impressive to say that the Chairperson of SADC Troika, my brother President Emmerson Mnangagwa worked hard through his efforts to seek a permanent solution in the DRC,” he said.
The virtual summit meeting that was held under the theme “SADC 40 years Building Peace and Security and Promoting Development and Resilience in the Face of Global challenges”, elected Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi as the chairperson of SADC and Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera as the SADC chairperson for 2021.
Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi was also elected chairperson of Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, while South African president Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as the chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Co-operation in 2021.
The summit was attended by 14 Heads of States and several Government officials who virtually followed proceedings, due to the COVID 19 pandemic that has made people to suspend face to face interactions.
