PRETORIA – Incoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman President Jacob Zuma on Saturday appealed to regional leaders gathered in Pretoria to intensify efforts to bring lasting peace and stability in the bloc.

“Our collective responsibility and work in ensuring that we maintain a peaceful, stable, and secure region is pertinent to attaining our objectives,” Zuma said in his welcoming remarks as host of the 37th ordinary SADC summit of heads of state and government.

“The critical need for both industrial and infrastructure development in SADC cannot be overstated.”

Zuma said 2017 symbolised an important year for the SADC, as it marked the jubilee celebration of the 15-member regional block.

“As such, the time is opportune for all of us as heads of state and government to take stock of the progress as well as opportunities created since SADC’s inception. As a region we have a blueprint, the revised regional integration strategic development programme (2015-2020) to guide our economic development and integration,” he said.

“Commendable progress in implementation” had been made with the development of the regional infrastructure development master plan, industrialisation, and “strategy and the  roadmap”.

“This meeting of heads of state and government is important as it gives us an opportunity to engage on the progress and challenges in terms of implementing our SADC integration agenda during this past year,” he said.

“We should also foster an environment for reflection on the future strategic direction of the region post-2020. We therefore wish to welcome the process initiated during Swaziland’s chairship, which saw SADC embarking upon a project to renew its vision.”

Zuma also used his welcoming remarks to pay tribute to iconic members of the SADC who had recently died.

“We remember and salute the role of both former president of Botswana Sir Ketumile Masire and the Namibian liberation struggle stalwart and former minister Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. We appreciate the achievements of both these giants for their sacrifices and will continue to be inspired by their legacies,” he said.

As incoming chairman of the SADC, Zuma said South Africa had been working closely with Swaziland, which had been chairing the regional bloc under Swaziland’s King Mswati III, and the SADC secretariat towards ensuring a smooth transition.

“It is important that we remember this point – SADC is our organisation and as such, our plans will only be driven if they are implemented at the national level. What is needed now is to enhance our collective responsibility towards the realisation of our objectives,” he said.

Numerous SADC heads of state and government, including Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane, Namibian President Hage Geingob, Botswana President Ian Khama, Zambian President Edgar Lungu, and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe were in attendance at the summit.

African News Agency