Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana, as a SADC member state, continues to enjoy numerous benefits. This was said by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Lemogang Kwape, in response to a question at the Ntlo Ya Dikgosi meeting on Tuesday.
Dr Kwape told the house that currently the SADC executive secretary was a Motswana and that gave Botswana the opportunity to drive the regional integration agenda as well as influence policy and decision-making in the regional body.
He added that the SADC secretariat headquarters was based in Gaborone and had currently employed 104 Batswana, which immensely contributed to professional growth and livelihoods of citizens.
He also indicated that the flagship Kazungula Bridge was an example of some of the benefits that Botswana enjoyed from being a SADC member state.
“The Kazungula Bridge is a milestone for SADC’s regional integration and industrialisation and supports the African Continental Free Trade Area through regional connectivity of the North-South corridor,” he said.
He said when the bridge was officially commissioned, 162 trucks passed as opposed to the 50 vehicles per day that were previously handled by the ferry and the bridge further provided revenue through customs and duty to Botswana thus diversifying the two countries’ revenue sources.
Again, he said some of the SADC regional meetings that were held in Gaborone brought business through the use of hotel and conferencing facilities in the country.
He said some Batswana had benefited from the annual SADC media award competitions, secondary school essay competitions and tertiary education essay competitions, adding the awards came in monetary form and a certificate.
Meanwhile, the minister said with regard to corporate social responsibility, the SADC secretariat did not have a budget for community service.
He explained that SADC objectives included achieving economic development, alleviating poverty, enhancing the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa.
He said such objectives were to be achieved through increased regional integration, built on democratic principles, equitable and sustainable development.
“Botswana is committed to maintenance of peace and security in the region, which are fundamental pillars of socio-economic development,” he added.
Kgosi Tjazako Munduu of Ngami region had asked the minister to inform Ntlo Ya Dikgosi about the role played by SADC on the livelihoods of Batswana as a way of giving back to the community as was the case with other international organisations.
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