Windhoek, Namibia. — Senior officials of news agencies in four Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have decided to establish a regional pool with headquarters in Maputo, Mozambique.

The media officials from Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique as well as the Southern African Broadcasting Association took the decision at the end of a two-day meeting in Maputo. They said the Pool, named SANAP (Southern African News Agency Pool) will be guided by commercial purposes for its sustainability and have editorial autonomy for its credibility.

The meeting further decided that national news agencies in SADC countries second personnel to SANAP on rotational basis to edit bulletins that would be published at the pool.

The officials, who met under the umbrella of the SADC Sector Co-ordinating Unit for Culture, Information and Sport recommended that the national news agencies have a role and relevance in SADC's building process. They urged national news agencies to provide diversified information and news from exclusive sources to enhance production at the pool.

The media executives later called on regional governments to provide support for the realisation of the project in order to complement the efforts of the regional pool and that of the donor community.