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Southern Africa: 'SADC Secretariat Inertia Worrisome'
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The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Charles Mangwato
Ndola
SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) chairperson, Levy Mwanawasa, has said member states and some international cooperating partners are dissatisfied with the SADC secretariat's lack of capacity to absorb financial aid meant to help the regional body achieve its goals.
Speaking in Gaborone yesterday when he addressed SADC senior management officials and staff, Dr Mwanawasa said member states were aware that the internal disunity between management and staff at the secretariat was a major contributing factor to the problem.
He warned that unless the weakness was urgently corrected, the regional body risked failing to attain the set milestones such as attainment of the Free Trade Area and Customs Union by 2010.
Dr Mwanawasa, who is the President of Zambia, said SADC needed to quickly find a solution to the problem as it was in a hurry to improve people's lives in the region.
He also said member states were concerned about receiving documentation late before important meetings.
That included the late submission of the SADC calendar of events that made it difficult for member states to thoroughly study such documents and make informed decisions.
Dr Mwanawasa said member states had further observed that during meetings, the secretariat had circulated final records not amended in line with directives of the member states.
That made the records inaccurate and risked stalling progress in the implementation of SADC programmes.
He said because Zambia attached much attention to implementating SADC programmes, it was working hard to perform the tasks assigned to it as chair of the regional organisation.
Dr Mwanawasa said he was happy that Zambia had started implementing the tasks set during the country's time as chair of SADC.
His visit to the secretariat was part of the overall tasks set out to be achieved.
Dr Mwanawasa said he had already visited Madagascar and Angola, some SADC member states, during which time crucial regional issues of energy and transport were prominently discussed.
Earlier, Dr Mwanawasa toured the new SADC office complex currently under construction in Gaborone.
He was taken on a conducted tour of the complex by the regional body's executive secretary, Tomaz Salomao.
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Managing director for Stocks Building Northwest Botswana, Carl Dyer, whose firm is constructing the complex, informed Dr Mwanawasa that the project was expected to be completed by June next year.
The Zambian President also planted a tree at the current SADC secretariat in Gaborone.
ZANIS
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