Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) has been offered a life line of getting involved in Southern Africa regional policy processes after meeting Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax in Gaborone, Botswana.
The SADC Executive Secretary says the regional body is interested to further engagement with all non-state actors as they provide rich information from areas and sectors the secretariat has no reach.She however points out on the need for a more organized working relationship that can facilitate information sharing for the betterment of the region.
“You should come up with a memorandum of understanding that draws terms of engagement. That will kick start establishment of formal ties on how the two bodies can work together in their duty of serving people in the region,” says Tax.
SADC says the MOU will be looked at the secretariat and the council before providing feedback to SAPSN.
SAPSN Secretary General Dalitso Kubalasa says the meeting was intended to alert SADC secretariat understand the networks’ agenda, operations and look at how the two bodies can complement each other in improving the welfare of people regarding issues of regional integration as well as social and economic justice.
“Our thematic areas of interest are very large, this is where you can already see as to where you can integrate our agenda see where SADC needs to be responsive…..we are trying to help as an ally that should make your office or your work quite easier,” Dalitso Kubalasa said.
Comrade Thomas Deve further asked the SADC secretariat to provide SAPSN an observer status at the forth coming summit in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The interaction highlighted gaps between SADC AND non-state actors as there is no organized way of dealing with civil society since there is no ideal policy to accommodate better interaction.
SADC chief says the regional body has to harness the role of non-state actors since they are included in the SADC treaty. She however says that this will have to be a gradual process since the region has not fully embraced non state actors. She adds that the regional body also has to adjust to make sure that the body does not work with fragmented units working on similar issues.
The meeting between SAPSN Secretariat is the first of its kind other than the handing over of a communiqué after the People’s Summit.
The SAPSN secretariat which distinguished itself as a platform for social movements and civil society groups who advocate for economic and social justice, regional integration stirring from capitalist globalization policies wants more interaction in between summits with SADC Secretariat.
The SAPSN delegation was led by Comrade Dalitso Kubalasa from the secretariat together with members of Regional Organizing Committee members for 2014 summit, Thomas Deve from Zimbabwe and Dumizweni Dlamini from Swaziland.
SADC Peoples Summit 