Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has arrived in Gaborone, Botswana, to attend the 35th Ordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government, from August 16 to 18, the presidency said on Sunday.
The summit would take place under the theme “Accelerating Industrialisation of SADC Economies Through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital”, it said in a statement.
Zuma was accompanied by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, State Security Minister David Mahlobo, and Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas.
Ramaphosa is the SADC facilitator in Lesotho and is in Botswana for the meeting of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, of which Zuma is outgoing chair.
South Africa would report to the summit on matters relating to the work of the organ, the presidency said.
It was expected that the 35th summit would focus on, among other things, implementation of the recently adopted regional industrialisation strategy approved during the Extraordinary SADC Summit in April 2015 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The summit was also expected to review progress towards achieving the objectives outlined in the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015 – 2020.
The RISDP is the blueprint for the SADC programme of action on achieving regional economic development and will guide the implementation of SADC programmes over the next five years, with a particular focus on industrial development and market integration; infrastructure in support of regional integration; and peace and security cooperation, among other issues.
Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa would act as president while Zuma and Ramaphosa were out of the country, the presidency said.
African News Agency