This emerged on Thursday as South Africa formally assumed the chairpersonship of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials ahead of the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit in Durban. “Peace and security remain among our greatest preoccupations,” Seokolo said, highlighting the ongoing instability in eastern DRC as one of the region’s biggest concerns. Industrialisation cornerstone of regional economic transformationHe identified industrialisation as the cornerstone of regional economic transformation, saying greater investment was needed in infrastructure, trade, food and nutrition security, energy, climate resilience, healthcare, gender equality and youth empowerment. Seokolo said senior officials had a responsibility to ensure that recommendations submitted to ministers resulted in tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens across southern Africa. Read More: SADC ministers push for economic self-reliance amid world economic turmoilSubscribe To Our Newsletter