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Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi

From Patrick Chitumba in Victoria Falls
SADC should rid itself of the donor dependence syndrome and devise ways to fund regional programmes using its own resources, Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said yesterday.
In his address after taking over the chairmanship of the Sadc Council of Ministers, Cde Mumbengegwi said there is a risk of donors wanting to control the region as the funds may come with strings attached.

Several ministers and permanent secretaries including Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, Finance and Economic Development Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa, Industry and Commerce Minister Cde Mike Bimha were among those who were in attendance when Cde Mumbengegwi took over the reins of the council.

“We need programmes that we own and are sustainable. To this end, we should have programmes that to a large extent, we are able to fund from our own resources.

“While we fully appreciate the assistance we receive from our cooperating partners, let us not forget the old adage that ‘whoever pays the piper calls the tune.’”

Cde Mumbengegwi said the grouping was defined by a common history, common challenges, culture, ideals and a common future.

“That said, the common question our people continue to ask is, ‘What is Sadc doing to uplift the quality of their lives and rid them of poverty, underdevelopment and other social ills?’” he said.

He said the bloc had an obligation to positively change people’s lives.

“To this end, we need to continue to guide all our national and regional structures to ensure that whatever decisions we take, would be fully implemented. We need to remind ourselves that the bulk of interventions in our programmes must be implemented at the level of member states,” said Cde Mumbengegwi.

The minister said the regional bloc had come thus far on account of collective commitment and the resolve to work together in making it a better place for all.

He hailed South Africa for the role she played in resolving the inter-party differences between Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC.

“In this regard, our efforts are underpinned by solidarity and mutual respect. While we are on the theme of solidarity, let us all be proud of our regional organisation for creating a peaceful and stable environment.

“We in Zimbabwe can testify to the years of dedicated and patient facilitation by Sadc. Let us pay tribute to President Zuma of South Africa, former presidents (Kgalema) Motlante and (Thabo) Mbeki before him for their sterling efforts in bringing Zimbabwe to the free and fair harmonised elections of July 31 last year,” he said.

Cde Mumbengegwi said the region, because of its diverse resources, had the potential to be one of the richest in the world.
In this light, he said the summit was running under the theme: “Sadc strategy for economic transformation: leveraging the region’s diverse resources for sustainable economic and social development through beneficiation and value addition.”

He took over the chairmanship of the Sadc Council of Ministers from his Malawian counterpart, Dr George Thaputula Chaponda.

The council of ministers sets the agenda for the heads of state and government summit. President Mugabe will assume leadership of the regional bloc this weekend.

Dr Chaponda said he was pleased to hand over the chairmanship at a time when the region was relatively peaceful and stable except for a few pockets of intra- state tensions which he said had been peacefully resolved.

“Sadc remains ready to render a helping hand in supporting the new Madagascar government consolidate your democratic process, rule of law and bold efforts in rebuilding your economy,” he said.

“Sadc in collaboration with the government of DRC and UN worked tremendously to pacify the armed destabilisation in the eastern part of DRC.”