View noticesSADC summit opens in Durban as police pledge tight security
The 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government got under way at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on Monday, with regional leaders gathering to discuss issues shaping Southern Africa's future, according to SAnews.
At a welcoming dinner hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve of the summit, international relations minister Ronald Lamola paid tribute to Durban's history as a centre of regional unity and struggle, and to the venue's namesake, liberation leader Inkosi Albert Luthuli.
Lamola noted that Luthuli, who was born near Bulawayo in present-day Zimbabwe to a family with roots in what was then Natal, embodied the region's interconnectedness long before the concept of regional integration entered common usage. Luthuli later returned to the province, going on to serve as a teacher, traditional leader and president-general of the African National Congress.
The minister linked that history to Durban's own role in the region's liberation struggles, citing the beer-hall protests by African women defending one of their few available economic activities, the 1973 Durban strikes led by workers demanding dignity and democracy, and a 1974 Viva Frelimo rally marking Mozambique's breakthrough against Portuguese colonial rule. He also pointed to the diversity of the city's population, shaped by migration from across South Africa, the region and further afield, including the Indian subcontinent.
“This history makes Durban a fitting place from which to imagine the future of our region – a peaceful and inclusive region in which all our people can enjoy sustainable economic wellbeing, justice and freedom,” Lamola said, adding that the summit would now turn to assessing regional progress against the bloc's Vision 2050 goals.
On security, police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said extensive planning had gone into ensuring the summit proceeds without disruption. She confirmed that police were aware of planned marches ahead of the leaders' meeting, and said sufficient measures were in place to prevent any interference with the event.
Mathe urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully and within the law, warning that no criminal activity, intimidation or threats against visiting heads of state would be tolerated. She said police had monitored all summit-related build-up events without incident, and expressed confidence in the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure's track record in securing major national events.