Leaders show their will
toward community building |
Angola and Botswana have introduced
stamps to commemorate the SADC Day, 17 August.
Botswana has a five-pula stamp issued
with the flags of all the 14 SADC countries and a map of Botswana and its immediate
neighbours. The stamp was introduced this year.
Angola's 1 million Kwanza stamp depicts the geographical location
of SADC in the planet drawn in sky blue with light from the rising sun seen through a
statellite picture.
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The week that Southern
Africa will long to remember |
The SADC Heads
of State and
Government
underlined their
commitment to
the concept of community building when they converged in the Mozambican capital Maputo to
commemorate SADC Day, 17 August.
For the first
time since the treaty establishing SADC was signed in 1992, Heads of State and Government
took part in the celebrations, set aside for all citizens of the region to rededicate
themselves to the ideal of a common vision.
The celebrations kicked off with
traditional dances by various Mozambican groups at Maxaquene stadium in Maputo.
This was
followed by addresses by the host President Joaquim Chissano, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa,
Angola's Jos‚ Eduardo dos Santos and guest of honour President Olusegun Obasanjo of
Nigeria.
The occasion, attended by
nearly all the 14 SADC leaders, was also graced by former presidents Sir Ketumile Masire
of Botswana, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Ali
Hassan Mwinyi of Tanzania, who are among the founding fathers of the Southern African
Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC),
which preceded SADC. |
Dr Kaire Mbuende, the outgoing SADC
Executive Secretary, presented prizes to winners of a regional schools essay competition
contested by primary school children, as part of an effort to popularise SADC among the
youth.
Botswana
scooped the first and third prizes while the second prize went to South Africa.
To wind up the day, delegates were
treated to some exciting international football in a match that pitted the Mozambican
national team against African giants, Nigeria. The Eagles of Nigeria won the match, played
before a capacity crowd at Maputo's Machava stadium, by one goal to nil.
New stamps to popularize SADC Day
SADC Day is now commemorated in some countries with
various sporting events, cultural dances and other activities.
Sir Quett
Masire, one of the invited guest |