By Mr. B.A Ditlhake, Executive Director, SADC Council of NGOs

11 January 2010

We welcome you all back from a well-deserved rest. As we start 2010, we recall the challenges, hopes, gains and lost opportunities in 2009. We still hope that our region remains challenged to resolve crises in Madagascar, DRC, Angola, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. 2010 must provide us with confidence and will to address these challenges with resolve and urgency to enable our people and the region to focus on more pressing issues – post conflict reconstruction, poverty reduction and development.

The failure by world leaders to commit to a realistic agenda to address climate change and its impact, through agreeing on specific targets in Copenhagen, resulted in the year ending on a sad note. People from all over the world ended the year with despair as high expectations were pinned on these leaders to save our planet.

There were signs of democratic revival and consolidation since a number of countries in our region held successful, free and fair elections in 2009, despite very few setbacks.
The global economic meltdown reversed many of the gains on development. More still needs to be done to reduce and mitigate the adverse effects of this on poverty levels, especially in securing quality and sustainable jobs.

We are therefore urged to double our efforts to make Southern Africa a better place for our communities – especially the poor, to live in peace, stability and greater opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. As our region hosts both the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola and FIFA World Cup in South Africa, let us hope that these events will contribute towards a prosperous SADC.

The SADC Council of NGOs calls on all the citizens of our region to multiply their efforts and commitment towards poverty-free, peaceful and stable region that is able to fulfill the needs and aspirations of its citizens. We call on our leaders to provide leadership, commitment, political and financial will to change our condition of despair to that of hope. We call on our leaders to provide visions that inspire ordinary citizens to look forward to 2010 as a year of renewal and change.

As we prepare for the 6th SADC Civil Society Forum and Heads of State and Government Summit in Windhoek, Namibia later this year, we call on civil society organizations and all other fraternal structures to unite and work together towards ensuring a responsive policy environment in our region. It is our duty and responsibility to organize our constituencies and communities to act. The SADC Council of NGOs therefore calls for a minimum program of action to address the following:

• Poverty and development challenges;


• Hindrances to the Free Movement of People in Southern Africa, through, the establishment of a Univisa for the people of the region to move freely and engage in productive economic activities as citizens of southern Africa;


• Transformation of SADC, from the Secretariat to the Summit to ensure that it responds to the challenges of member states, and needs of its citizens. Key among these is accountability of our leaders to the governed, on whose behalf and name that these things are done. These include respect for institutions of democratic governance – such as respect for the decisions of the SADC Tribunal, corruption in our governments that erode hopes for poverty eradication etc.;


• Consolidation of democracy, peace and stability


• Equitable and sustainable regional economic integration, including the impact of Economic Partnership Agreements