Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee for the SADC People’s Summit Network (SAPSN), Samuel Wadza has underscored the significance of the recent three-day gathering of civic society and development organizations in Southern Africa.
Speaking about the event, Wadzai emphasized that this annual gathering, held on the sidelines of the main SADC Heads of State and Government Summit, is a critical platform for civil society to collectively voice their concerns and demands for the region’s future.
“This is a process we undertake every year, coinciding with the official SADC Summit,” Wadzai explained. He highlighted that the primary outcome of this year’s summit was the development of a communiqué, which encapsulates the key demands of the people of Southern Africa.
“We have put together a communiqué detailing our demands, which we will submit to the incoming chairperson of SADC,” Wadzai said.
The communiqué, according to Wadzai, outlines a series of calls to action aimed at driving meaningful change in the region.
These demands focus on ensuring that the people of Southern Africa are supported both economically and socially, with the ultimate goal of transforming lives across the region.
“We want to ensure that there’s development in the region and that the people are supported economically and socially,” he emphasized.
Wadzai also stressed the importance of treating this as an ongoing process, rather than a one-time event.
He called on all stakeholders involved in the SADC framework to take the communiqué seriously and to commit to monitoring and implementing the demands it outlines.
“We urge all players in this process to view it as a continuous effort, ensuring that we track progress on the issues raised by the People’s Summit,” Wadzai stated.
In conclusion, the communiqué represents the collective voice of civil society in Southern Africa, calling for urgent and sustained action to address the region’s challenges.
As the document is submitted to the incoming SADC chairperson, Wadzai and SAPSN hope that it will spark the necessary changes to foster development and improve the quality of life for all Southern Africans.
The process, Wadzai insists, is not just about making demands but about ensuring that these demands lead to real, tangible progress in the region.
