Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Sadc Chairperson President Mnangagwa 
Wallace Ruzvidzo, Herald Reporter
Citizens of the Southern African Development Community should maintain a united front for the collective good of present and future generations, pursuant to a modern, industrialised and integrated region, President Mnangagwa has said.
SADC yesterday commemorated the Southern Africa Liberation Day, which is celebrated on March 23 every year.
In a statement, President Mnangagwa, who is SADC chairman, said it was critical that the region’s general citizenry safeguard the bloc’s liberation heritage, collective sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The SADC “We All Want”, said the President, would be realised through tenacious honest work.
“I wish to take this opportunity to galvanise all SADC citizens to unite for the collective good of the present and future generations,” he said.
“I appeal to every one of us, no matter where we are, to remain vigilant in safeguarding our rich liberation heritage, collective sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
“The modern, industrialised and integrated SADC ‘we all want’ shall be realised through hard-honest work, focus, commitment, unity of purpose and collective determination. None, but us the SADC citizens will build and transform our region.”
The SADC Chair said although the region remains largely harmonious, the Eastern DRC security situation needs to be effectively and decisively dealt with.
If peace is not brought in the DRC, added President Mnangagwa, the crisis in that country would weaken the region’s aspirations towards collective growth and prosperity.
“SADC remains a relatively calm and peaceful region. For this, we are proud. However, I reiterate our call for lasting peace in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The situation in Eastern DRC undermines the aspirations bequeathed to us by our founding fathers and outlined in the SADC Constitutive Act and Vision 2050.
“The time to ‘silence the guns’, de-escalate tensions and hostilities as well as to engage in dialogue to secure mediated outcomes for long-lasting peace in DRC is now,” he said.
President Mnangagwa urged the region to remain vigilant and alert to the emerging challenges that threaten its hard-won independence and general stability.
He also singled out the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, which remains under Moroccan influence.
“We must continue to stand in solidarity against the imposition of illegal sanctions, use of coercive measures and/or any other actions that undermine our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“On this historic day, we also remember our brothers and sisters in the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, who are still being denied the right to determine their own destiny.
“Africa will not be free until the Western Sahara is liberated, free, and independent,” he said.
On the climate change-induced phenomena, President Mnangagwa said “it is our collective responsibility to take decisive action to mitigate and manage the effects of these natural disasters”.
Many parts of the SADC region and indeed the world, are being ravaged by climate change.
Thousands of lives have been lost, while infrastructure and crops have been damaged by floods caused by climate change.
In the last cropping season, most parts of SADC were food insecure after being affected by low rainfall due to the El-Nino phenomenon.
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