Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo has urged senior officials from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to confront “uncomfortable realities” around trade, food security and infrastructure, as they work to accelerate regional integration and economic development.
Opening the meeting of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials in Pretoria today, Seokolo said the region must move faster to translate policy commitments into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
The meeting is being held under the theme: ‘Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC’.
Seokolo — who is the Deputy Director-General: Africa Branch at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and Chairperson of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials — said the meeting comes at a time when the global environment remains “dynamic, uncertain and dangerous”, characterised by geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, climate-related shocks and disruptions to global supply chains.
“These developments have direct implications for developing regions such as ours,” he said, stressing that the region must remain seized with strengthening cooperation and delivering meaningful outcomes for the people.
Seokolo said senior officials play a crucial role in ensuring that regional commitments adopted by leaders are implemented through sound policies, results-based planning and sustainable financing.
“Our responsibility as senior officials is to ensure that the machinery of regional cooperation functions efficiently, responsibly and with measurable results,” he said.
Among the key issues on the agenda are the financial status of the regional bloc, the Resource Mobilisation Framework and the operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund.
Delegates will also review progress in implementing decisions taken by the Council of Ministers and the SADC Summit, particularly in priority areas such as food and nutrition security, disaster risk management and pandemic preparedness.
The meeting will further consider institutional and governance matters aimed at strengthening the organisation’s effectiveness, including proposed guidelines for processing memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements, as well as efforts to improve communication and visibility for the regional bloc.
Central to discussions is the Mid-Term Review of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, which guides the region’s development agenda between 2020 and 2030.
Seokolo said discussions so far have highlighted the need to identify high-impact regional priorities that can unlock economic growth, strengthen climate resilience, accelerate industrialisation and improve infrastructure connectivity.
The detailed development of these flagship priorities will be taken forward through a technical workshop proposed for June this year.
Peace, security and governance also remain key focus areas, with officials expected to discuss the SADC Regional Framework on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development and Transitional Justice, which aims to support countries emerging from conflict by strengthening institutions, fostering reconciliation and promoting the rule of law.
Addressing stumbling blocks to growth
Despite progress in regional cooperation, Seokolo challenged delegates to confront several gaps that continue to hinder development across the region.
He noted that intra-regional trade currently stands at about 23%, while manufacturing contributes only around 11% to the region’s gross domestic product — levels he suggested fall short of the region’s integration ambitions.
Logistical bottlenecks also remain a major concern. Seokolo pointed out that it takes approximately 15 days and 22 hours for goods to travel from the Port of Durban to the Kasumbalesa border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which highlights inefficiencies in regional transport and trade corridors.
Seokolo also raised concerns about the estimated 58 million people in the region, who face food insecurity, and the large sections of the regional road network that remain unpaved.
“These are very uncomfortable questions, but leadership is about discomfort. If we are to realise the aspirations of regional integration, we must move faster, work smarter together, and ensure that our decisions translate into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of our region,” he said.
The Standing Committee of Senior Officials is expected to conclude its deliberations by presenting recommendations to the SADC Council of Ministers. The Council is expected to meet in Pretoria next week. – SAnews.gov.za
