Infrastructure support intervention has been placed at the core of the region's communitybuilding agenda and concerted efforts are being made to ensure the availability of an integrated, efficient and cost-effective system to sustain regional economic development and trade.
To this end, five intervention areas have been prioritised, as contained in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan - SADC's 15- year blueprint. These are energy generation, transport, communications technology and meteorology, water infrastructure, and tourism. [read more]
SADC HEADS of State and Government are to hold a brainstorming session during the 2007 Summit that focuses on “Scaling Up of the Implementation of Regional Infrastructure Development in SADC”.
The brainstorming session comes at an opportune time, taking place on the eve of the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) set for 2008. With the FTA beckoning amid expectations of a Customs Union in 2010 and a Common Market in 2015, infrastructure development is central to promoting intraregional trade and strengthening the region's manufacturing capacity.
The session on infrastructure will build upon commitments made by the SADC leaders during a similar brainstorming workshop on “Scaling Up the Regional Integration Agenda” held during the 2006 Summit in Lesotho. [read more]
LESOTHO AND South Africa have agreed to allow the free movement of their citizens across each other's borders.
The agreement on the Facilitation of Cross Border Movement of Citizens was signed in June by Lesotho's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa, and South Africa's Minister of Home Affairs, Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula.
Underlining the importance
of the cross-border
agreement, South African
President, Thabo Mbeki, welcomed
Lesotho Prime Minister,
Pakalitha Mosisili, to his
“other home”, saying that
many South Africans regarded
Lesotho as such.
[read more]