Antananarivo. Vice President Philip Mpango on August 17 represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the 45th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), held at the Ivato International Conference Centre in Madagascar.
The high-level meeting saw Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa hand over the bloc’s rotating chairmanship to Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina for a one-year term.
Tanzania also concluded its one-year leadership of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, with the role now transferred to Malawi.
During his opening address, outgoing SADC chair Mnangagwa commended President Samia for her stewardship of the security organ, praising her role in safeguarding peace and stability within the region.
The summit reviewed progress in the implementation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, highlighting both achievements and challenges.
The framework is anchored on four main pillars: peace, security and democratic governance; industrial development and market integration; infrastructure development; and social and human capital advancement.
Among the gains outlined were a reduction in terrorism incidents, strengthened democratic practices through free and fair elections, improved access to financial services, higher value in manufactured exports, and expanded use of the SADC regional payment system (Real Time Gross Settlement – RTGS).
The meeting also recognised winners of SADC awards, including Tanzania’s Crispin Kamugisha, a secondary school student who won first place in the regional essay writing competition and received a prize of $1,500.
This year’s summit was held under the theme Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC.
