KALABA

By BRIAN HATYOKA in Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe-
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba has described the just ended 34th ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government as a success and beneficial to Zambia and the region.
Mr Kalaba said a lot of issues came out of the Summit which were important for Zambia and other countries in the SADC.
He said all the 15 SADC member States recognised the need for the regional grouping to work as a united front to enhance industrialisation and promote value addition to bring about economic emancipation to citizens.
He was speaking in an interview at Elephant Hills Resort in Victoria Falls Town of Zimbabwe on Monday after the official closing ceremony for the Summit.
Zambia’s Republican Vice-President Guy Scott as well as Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Bob Sichinga, Commerce Permanent Secretary Siazongo Siakalenge and Zambia’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ndiyoyi Mutiti were among high ranking Zambian officials that attended the Summit.
The Summit was held under the theme SADC: leveraging the region’s resources for sustainable economic and social development through beneficiation and value addition.
He said the region had no wars currently,  except for a few cases in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) although that country’s President Joseph Kabila told the Summit that calm was almost returning to his country.
Mr Kalaba said Zambia was looking to the SADC family as a pedestal for advancing her own aspirations.
He said value-addition to natural resources was one of the major issues discussed during the Summit which was key to creating jobs and wealth in the region and across Africa.
He said there was need for the SADC region to be relevant to current demands as the objective of the regional bloc had changed over time from political to economic emancipation.
“We have to start trading in real terms with each other in the SADC region which will in turn benefit our local people,” he said.