Pretoria - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers are currently meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, ahead of next week’s SADC Heads of State and Government summit.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane is leading South Africa’s delegation which includes Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas.
The SADC Council of Ministers is a statutory body responsible for overseeing implementation of SADC policies, programmes and decisions.
They will clear the agenda for the summit meeting of the SADC Heads of State and Government scheduled for Monday and Tuesday under the theme ”Accelerating Industrialisation of SADC Economies Through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital”.
The summit will look into ways to improve the socio-economic situation in the region.
“SADC is the primary vehicle used by the sub-region to promote balanced and equitable integration among its Member States, and to achieve sustainable development, allowing the region to address the key challenge of unemployment and poverty eradication,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said on Friday.
The summit will also see Botswana taking over as the chairperson of the 15-member regional group.
South Africa is one of 15 Member States of SADC. The others are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. - SAnews.gov.za
