President Hage Geingob yesterday undertook a working visit to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo to participate in the 42nd Ordinary Summit of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government.
Regional leaders will deliberate on the region’s development under the theme ‘Promoting Industrialisation Through Agro-processing, Mineral Beneficiation and Regional Value Chains for Inclusive and Resilient Economic Growth’.
The theme underscores efforts to strengthen the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
During the summit, which will be preceded by the Organ Troika Summit of Heads of State and Government, Geingob will relinquish the position of deputy chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
“The Organ Troika Summit convening on 16 August 2022 will discuss the report of the chairperson of the summit; and the political and security situation in the region, including the consolidation of democracy in the region,” presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said in a statement yesterday.
Every year, a different country takes over as chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
The summit will also see current SADC chairperson, Malawi’s president Lazarus Chakwera, hand over the SADC chairmanship to incoming DRC president Félix Tshisekedi.
Geingob served as the chairperson of SADC in 2018/2019, presiding over the affairs of the region during a difficult period, including the 2018 elections in the DRC, which resulted in the first peaceful transfer of power in the history of the DRC since independence on 30 June 1960.
Additionally, as chairperson of SADC, he also provided advice and counsel to president Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros at a time when that country was facing a period of political uncertainty ahead of the elections of 2019.
Geingob is expected back in the country tomorrow.