Times Of Swaziland: NEW HALL FOR SADC LEADERS MEET

NEW HALL FOR SADC LEADERS MEET
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BY MFANUKHONA NKAMBULE on 21/08/2016 07:33:00


EZULWINI – Heads of State and regional ministers in the SADC region will have
the privilege to be hosted in a new spacious dome at Lozitha Palace.
His Majesty the King will host them from August 30 to 31, 2016 for the 36th SADC
Summit.
Presidents expected to attend include, among others, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe,
Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), Peter Mutharika of Malawi and John Magufuli President of Tanzania.
Others are the famous Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Filipe Nyusi of
Mozambique and Hage Geingob of Namibia.
It is not certain yet who will represent Zambia between Edgar Lungu, the
outgoing President and Speaker Patrick Matibini as that country is still
entangled in presidential election disputes playing out in the constitutional
court of Zambia.
This will be the first time the Kingdom of Swaziland hosts a SADC Summit.
However, it has hosted major events before, like the Preferential Trade Area
(PTA) meeting in the 1990s. The PTA has since been replaced by the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Prince Hlangusemphi, Minister of Economic Planning and Development, confirmed in
an interview that the heads of State and government would be hosted at the new
hall.
He said the meeting of Cabinet ministers from the 15 southern African countries
would also be held in the beautiful hall.
The same message was communicated to foreign envoys yesterday morning at Royal
Swazi Spa Hotel by the SADC Secretariat and senior officers in the Ministry of
Economic Planning and Development, which is in charge of the preparations of the
SADC Summit.
Bertram Stewart, the Principal Secretary and Chazile Magongo, the Director of
SADC Unit, told the ambassadors, high commissioners and consulars that they
would receive special guests card for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The official opening is on August 30, 2016 and the closing ceremony is on the
following day.
The envoys representing their countries here were further told that they would
not be allowed to attend closed sessions of the 36th SADC Summit.
They will only attend the opening and closing ceremony of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Summit on August 30-31 respectively.