Communiqué of the 39th sadc Summit of Heads of State and Government, Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, 17-18 August 2019
- The 39th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, on the 17th and 18th August 2019.
- Summit was attended by the following Heads of States and Government and or their representatives:
Angola HE President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco
Comoros HE President Colonel Azali Assoumani
DRC HE President Felix Antoine Tsisekedi Tshilombo
Madagascar HE President Andry Rajoelina
Mozambique HE President Felipe Jacinto Nyusi
Namibia HE President Dr Hage G. Geingob
Seychelles HE President Danny Faure
South Africa HE President Cyril Ramaphosa
United Republic of Tanzania HE President Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli
Zambia HE President Edgar Chagwa Lungu
Zimbabwe HE President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa
Lesotho Right Hon Prime Minister Dr Motsoahae Thomas Thabane
Malawi Rt Hon Everton Herbert Chimulirenji (Vice President)
eSwatini HE The Right Hon Prime Minister Mandvulo Dlamini
Botswana Hon Dr Unity Dow — Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation
Mauritius Hon Nandcoomar Bodha — Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade.
- Also in attendance was HE Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, SADC Executive Secretary; HE Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Developmental Bank; HE Dr Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
- Summit expressed deep condolences to His Excellency President John Magufuli, the Government and the United Republic of Tanzania and the families of the deceased following the deadly fuel tanker accident in Morogoro.
- Summit elected HE Dr John Magufuli, President of United Republic of Tanzania as Chairperson of SADC and HE Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique as incoming chairperson of SADC.
- Summit also elected HE Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe as Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and HE Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi President of the Republic of Botswana as incoming chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
- Summit commended the outgoing chairperson of SADC HE Dr Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia for his extremely leadership during his tenure.
- Summit endorsed the Theme of the 39th Summit of Heads of State and Government, “A Conducive Environment of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, Increased Intra-Regional Trade and Job Creation’’, which takes forward the SADC industrialisation agenda.
- Summit noted the overall decline in food production in the region for the 2018/19 crop season and urged Member states to implement comprehensive multi-year response plans to tackle the recurrent droughts and food insecurity to boost agricultural production.
- Summit noted progress made on the implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and approved the Protocol on Industry which aims to promote the development of a diversified innovative and globally competitive industrial base.
- Summit noted with great concern the slow growth in the intra-SADC trade levels and that the region continues to export unprocessed raw material to the rest of the world therefore forfeiting the potential benefits of the resource endowments. To this effect, Summit agreed to accelerate the implementation of the industrialisation strategy.
- Summit noted the effects of tropical cyclones in the Union of Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe and commended all Member States for humanitarian support and directed SADC Secretariat to expedite the operationalisation of the SADC Disaster Preparedness and Response Mechanism as part of the regional measures to respond to effects of climate change.
- Summit noted the good progress towards representation of women in politics and economic decision-making and urged Member States to translate laws and policies into concrete actions such as legislative quotas on women’s representation in politics including the application of the Article 5 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Developmental on Special Measures.
- Summit noted the adverse impact on the economy of Zimbabwe and expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe and called for the immediate lifting of the sanctions to facilitate socio-economic recovery in the country.
- Summit approved KiSwahili as the Fourth SADC Official Working Language.
This is in recognition of its contribution and Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere’s role during the liberation struggle.
- Summit noted that Burundi met some of the eligibility criteria for admission of new members into SADC and that she will submit a progress report based on which verification Mission will be undertaken.
- Summit also approved the Protocol on Inter-State Transfer of Sentenced Offenders whose objective is to allow for the transfer of sentenced offenders to serve their sentences.
- Summit noted the withdrawal of South African’s signature from the Protocol on the Tribunal in the Southern African Development Community of 2014 in compliance with the Constitutional Court ruling.
- Summit welcomed the enactment of legislation to establish the National Reforms Authority (NRA) in the Kingdom of Lesotho, called upon all stakeholders in Lesotho to remain committed to the reforms process, and commended the SADC Facilitator for the effective facilitation.
- Summit noted the gravity of security challenges, especially of terrorism activities and transnational crime and urged Member States to prioritise the implementation the SADC Regional Counter Terrorism Strategy and its Action Plan.
- Summit noted the Act of extremism and terrorism in the DRC specifically in Beni area and agreed to continue collaborating with the Internationals Conference of the Great Lakes Region(ICGLR) and consolidate efforts towards the political and security stabilisation of the Great Lakes Region.
- Summit noted the acts of gravity of maritime security threats such as piracy, and maritime terrorism; drug trafficking and illegal carrying and trafficking of weapons and ammunition and agreed to jointly address them as part of SADC Maritime Strategy.
- Summit commended the outgoing Chairperson of SADC, HE Dr Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia and HE Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, for their outstanding leadership during the SADC Solidarity Conference with the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic;
- Summit noted the resolutions of the SADC Solidarity Conference with the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)/Western Sahara and urged SADC Member States, the African Union and the United Nations to implement the Conference resolutions.
- Summit called for the unconditional implementation of all UN resolutions and AU decisions on Western Sahara, which will lead to a positive, peaceful and permanent solution that meets the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara.
26 Summit expressed solidarity with Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara (SADR) by urging African Union Member States and other partners to ensure that the SADR is not excluded from participating in continental and international events;
- Summit directed the Secretariat to notify the African Union Commission to notify the Government of Japan on the SADC position regarding the exclusion of SADR participation in the forthcoming meeting of TICAD in August 2019.
- Summit congratulated Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi and South Africa for holding peaceful and successful elections.
- Summit directed the SADC Secretariat in collaboration with the Parliamentary Forum Secretariat to develop the model that the proposed SADC Parliament would assume, in terms of its mandate, powers and functions and develop a Roadmap towards the transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a SADC Parliament;
- Summit noted progress made on the construction of the SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot and mandated the Chairperson of the Organ to engage further the African Union on the support required for the construction of the Regional Logistics Depot.
- Summit commended the outgoing Chairperson of SADC, HE Dr Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia and the Outgoing Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, HE Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia for the role played that contributed to the peaceful elections and peaceful transfer of power, while maintaining the territorial integrity of the DRC.
- Summit commended the Republics of Angola and South Africa for providing financial and material assistance for the conduct of the 2018 Presidential Elections in the Republic of Madagascar.
- Summit commended HE President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique and Honourable Ossufo Momade, the leader of the opposition political party, RENAMO on the signing of the peace and reconciliation agreement on the 6th August 2019, paving way for sustainable peace and revamping of economic and social development.
- Summit commended HE Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia for his leadership during his tenure as the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
- His Excellency President Dr John Magufuli thanked all the Heads of State and Government for attending the 39th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government.
- Summit extended its appreciation to the Government and people of the United Republic of Tanzania for successfully hosting the 39th Ordinary Summit and the hospitality they provided to the delegates during the Summit period.
Done at Dar es Salam, United Republic of Tanzania, 18th August, 2019
