SA targets 50% intra-SADC trade under chairmanship: Lamola

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola says achieving at least 50% of Southern African Development Community (SADC)-intra trade in the foreseeable future will be the best legacy for South Africa, as the chair of the regional body.

Pretoria assumed the chairmanship of the 16-member block on Monday.

Lamola was speaking to the media in Durban were the 46th SADC Summit is under way .

“In terms of the legacy the president has outlined what we want to achieve during our chairmanship.

Regional integration now at 20%, we want to see that growth to at 50% and the mandate will be given to Minister of Trade to give us by which dates we can reach 50% of intra-regional trade and also to build our manufacturing capability, which is declining within the region, but also to trade with each other on some of the minerals including value added goods like food.

There are certain countries in the SADC region in terms of the study that we have done, that reflects that they produce some of the food that we need in the region for instance, Tanzania has got rice which we can be able to trade with each on it.” Government says despite having only 10 out of 16 presidents attending the summit, the bloc’s annual meeting in eThekwini is a success.

A few countries are absent from the gathering.

Zambia is one of those not attending as it grapples to release the outcomes of its recently concluded elections while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania are having state visits.

Lamola says the business of the summit has been concluded by officials and ministers, with the presidents only expected to endorse the work already done.

“The summit is a success, the 10 heads of state are here, Mozambique is here.

Most of them are here even that are not here, they are represented for instance as you have said the DRC, their Minister of Defence is here, their Minister of Foreign Affairs, she is also here.

Tanzania, the Minister of Defence is here accompanied by a delegation.

So, they are represented, they will be able to make a decision and that’s how multilateral forums work.

People come, some don’t come and those who don’t come, they send delegation at the appropriate level.” Addressing the SADC Council of Ministers: Decisions mean little without practical impact.