Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Delegates from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states were in Swaziland from June 19 to 23, 2017, to attend the meetings of SACU institutions. The 44th Meeting of the SACU Finance and Audit Committee, chaired by Botswana and the 44th Meeting of the SACU Commission, chaired by the Kingdom of Swaziland, were held in Ezulwini, on June 19 and 20, respectively.
The 31st Meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by the Kingdom of Swaziland, took place on June 21 at Ezulwini. This meeting preceded the 5th SACU Summit of the Heads of State and Government, which was be hosted by King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland and chairperson of the SACU Heads of State and Government, on June 23, in Lozitha.
The 5th SACU Summit was attended by heads of state and government and representatives of SACU member states, namely Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and the Kingdom of Swaziland as the chair.
The main focus of the summit was to consider the report of the SACU Council of Ministers on progress to implement the roadmap to re-invigorate the SACU work programme. This was agreed to by the heads of state and government during the special meeting on November 12, 2015, in Windhoek. The report also provided an update on the SACU trade agenda, focusing on trade negotiations and trade facilitation programmes.