President Hage Geingob said the SADC region boasts an active young population, where two-thirds of the citizens are below the age of 35.
Addressing a virtual meeting if Sadc leaders on Monday, Geingob said this active portion of our populations needs to be nurtured to realise its full potential.
“If we fail to do so, we risk social exclusion and the radicalisation of our youth, placing in jeopardy the positive gains we have made as a region. We have put in place robust and reliable governance architectures, which are characterised by sound systems, processes and institutions,” he said.
Geingob added that there is an obligation to strengthen effective governance, to promote the rule of law and to harness political systems where conflicts and political differences are mediated through robust processes, systems and institutions.
As such, he said, there is a need for the Region to collectively develop and implement-mitigating measures against these risks without fail. Similarly, within this context, the urgency of the SADC regional integration agenda cannot be overemphasized.
“I, therefore, underscore the need for SADC, and in particular the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation to take decisive action in addressing issues of insecurity in our Region. Without peace, development does not take place,” he said.
According to Geingob, the Pillars of Industrial Development and Market Integration, Infrastructure Development and importantly Social and Human Capital Development will not become a reality in the absence of a foundation of peace and security in the region.
He also said considering the challenges posed by COVID-19, as well as the threats of climate change and terrorist activities in the region, and in order to work towards finding lasting solutions to our problems, it is clear that we need to hold hands as brothers and sisters within SADC.
