LILONGWE, Malawi

Malawi on Tuesday took leadership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the next 12 months.

President Lazarus Chakwera took control of the regional bloc from Mozambique's Filipe Nyusi at the 41st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Malawi's capital of Lilongwe.

“Malawi is deeply honored to host the SADC Summit. The meeting is important as it comes at a time when the region has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Chakwera.

He called for a focus on areas that could help the region register quick gains from the coronavirus to create jobs.

But Chakwera spoke against vax-crimination, in which the Western world denies Africa an opportunity to access coronavirus vaccines.

“Inequalities and disparities in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines are unacceptable,” he said. “African countries are full members of the global citizens and they must not be treated as second-class citizens,” he said.

Chakwera said the SADC also needs to ensure that it swiftly addresses any pockets of political instability and conflict. He hailed peaceful political transitions in the region, including the latest transfer of power in Zambia.

African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said he is encouraged to see that SADC has ramped up efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts in line with the efforts of the bloc.

But he said coronavirus vaccine access remains the biggest challenge.

“Africa has vaccinated a small percentage of its population because of lack of capacity to manufacture vaccines,” he said.

Nyusi said Mozambique will support Malawi throughout its leadership of the regional bloc.

The Summit is being held under the theme “Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of Covid-19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation”.

The summit is taking stock of progress made in promoting and deepening regional integration in line with SADC's aspirations and Vision 2050, which aims to promote peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle- to high-income industrialized regions.

Comprising 16 member states, the SADC was formed in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC).

It rebranded as SADC in August 1992 and its mission is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth.

Members include Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.