Southern African Development Community (SADC) Foreign and Finance Ministers to meet in Cape Town, 25-27 February 2009.

The South African Foreign Minister and the Chairperson of SADC Council of Ministers, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will chair a SADC Council of Ministers Meeting scheduled for 26-27 February 2009 at International Convention Centre in Cape Town. In attendance will be the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economic Planning, Regional Affairs, Finance, and Cooperation of the fifteen member SADC Regional Economic Council.

The Council of Ministers which convenes every six months between Summits was preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting chaired by the Foreign Affairs Director General, Dr A. Ntsaluba from 23-25 February 2009.

Issues for discussion will include, among others:

• the review of the political situation in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo;          

• a discussion on the financial crisis and nature of the regional approach thereto and the approach to the G-20 meeting on the 2nd of April;

• progress in the implementation of the UNIVISA which is a project aimed at facilitating movement between SADC countries specifically with respect to both the Confederations Cup, African Cup of Nations in Angola and the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup;

• SADC collaboration with the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for East Africa and Southern Africa (COMESA) to pursue broader objective of the African Union to achieve economic growth, reduce poverty and attain sustainable economic development as agreed in the Tripartite Summit in Kampala, Uganda in 2008; and

• organizational issues around the strengthening of the Secretariat to better meet the challenges that the SADC region is facing;

As part of the build up to the SADC Council of Ministers meeting the Finance Ministers will meet later today, 25th February 2009, to consider regional response to assist the people of Zimbabwe to ensure economic recovery in that country.

SADC, the African Union (AU) and the SADC Facilitator on Zimbabwe, former President Mbeki remain the guarantors of the Global Political Agreement signed by the three Zimbabwean political parties in September 2008. 

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria, 0002

25 February 2009