Vice President Everton Herbert Chimulirenji Friday arrived in the United Republic of Tanzania to attend, on behalf of President Peter Mutharika, the 39th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from 17 to 18 August in Dar es Salaam.
The plane carrying Right Honorable Chimulirenji touched down at the Julius Nyerere International Airport at 20:40hrs, Tanzanian local time which is one hour ahead of that of Malawi.
On arrival at the airport, the Vice President was welcomed by Dr. Mary Mwanjelwa who is Deputy Minister in the President’s Office, Public Services and Good Governance and Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe who is Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports.
He was also welcomed by Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Francis Kasaila, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Ibrahim Salim Bagus, High Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi to Tanzania ambassador Glad Chembe Munthali and Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ben Botolo,.
President Mutharika delegated Chimulirenji to demonstrate his commitment to improving and maintaining good international relations, power sharing and trade between Malawi and SADC member states which is key to economic growth and development.
The 39th Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and government, is expected to be officially opened today at 9:00 hours at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC).
Theme for the 39th ordinary summit is: “A Conducive Environment for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, Increased Intra-Regional Trade and Job Creation.”
Apart from attending the official opening of the Summit, the Vice President is expected to sit in for president Mutharika in a number of events namely attending the Summit Closed Session, the State Banquet in honour of the Heads of State and Government and their Spouses, attending an official closing ceremony of the Summit and having an audience with Mr. Muhammad Dewj, Chief Executive Officer of the Mohammad Enterprises Limited (MOEL) among others.
The SADC Summit is made up of all SADC Heads of States or Government and is managed on a troika system that comprises the current SADC Chairperson, the incoming Chairperson and the immediate previous Chairperson.
The ordinary SADC summit usually meets once a year around August or September in a member state of the incoming SADC Chairperson.
The current SADC troika comprises President Hage G. Geingob of Namibia as the Chairperson; his predecessor President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa as the outgoing Chairperson, President John Joseph Magufuli of Tanzania as the incoming Chairperson.
SADC, established on 17th August, 1992, is a Regional Economic Community comprising 16 Member States; Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Main objectives of the grouping are to achieve development, peace and security, and economic growth, to alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa, and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration, built on democratic principles and equitable and sustainable development.
By Wallace Chipeta – MANA
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