Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will on Friday undertake a working visit to the Kingdom of Swaziland to attend the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.
The Presidency on Wednesday said the Summit, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, is expected to discuss the Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Economic Integration: Industrialisation and Regional Economic Integration.
“The Summit will further discuss, amongst other things, food security following the army worm outbreak currently affecting crop production and food security in the region. The regional bloc leaders will also discuss the request from the Union of Comoros and the Republic of Burundi to join the SADC,” said the Presidency.
President Zuma will participate in the SADC Double Troika Summit which is convened to receive and discuss a progress report on the implementation of SADC decisions in relation to the political situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The double troika will also receive and discuss an update on the political and security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In his capacity as SADC facilitator in Lesotho, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will also give a report to the summit on the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The extra-ordinary summit will be preceded by the SADC Council of Ministers’ meeting and the SADC Ministerial Retreat under the theme: “The SADC We Want”.
On the SADC Ministerial Retreat, deliberations will focus on three thematic areas: SADC Vision Progress, Challenges and Prospects, SADC’s Institutional Capacity to deliver on its mandate and Resource Mobilisation.
President Zuma will be accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane; Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies. - SAnews.gov.za
