Delegates attending the 27th Session of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Zambia are beginning to flock to the Mulungushi International Conference Centre Thursday morning.
Among those who have arrived in the Zambian capital are Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba whose aircraft touched down at Lusaka International Airport this morning, accompanied by his wife.
Community Development Minister Catherine Namugala and other senior government officials were on hand to receive President Pohamba on his arrival.
The Namibian leader was sixth heads of State or government to arrive in the country for the summit.
Other SADC leaders who had arrived earlier are Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika, Mozambique's President Armando Guebuza accompanied by First Lady Maria, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and First Lady Sauma, and President Festus Mogae of Botswana.
King Mtswati III of Swaziland, accompanied by Queen Langangaza, arrived later and was received at Lusaka International Airport by Health Minister Dr Brian Chituwo.
Mauritius President Sir Seewosargun Ramgoolam also arrived later and was received by Agriculture and Co-operatives minister Ben Kapita.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said on arrival that the summit is poised to be a success because all SADC member countries have confirmed attendance.
The situation in Zimbabwe is speculated to rank high on the SADC summit agenda.
Later, South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived to be greeted by Home Affairs (Interior) Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha.
President Mbeki has a huge task on his shoulder as he is expected to brief the Heads of State and Government on his mediation role in the Zimbabwe crisis.
He was in March this year mandated by the SADC leaders at their meeting in Tanzania to mediate in the Zimbabwean situation.
Apart from Zimbabwe, the meeting is also expected to discuss the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa and the SADC Standby Brigade which will also be officially launched on Friday.
The SADC member states also face many socio-economic challenges which include food security, HIV and AIDS, gender issues, defence and security and political development.
The SADC meeting will be held under the theme "Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration".
The holding of the summit in Lusaka, Zambia, is of great significance to this country because the venue of the Summit is the birthplace of the Southern African Development Co-ordinating Conference (SADCC), the forerunner to the SADC.
SADC has been in existence since 1980, when it was formed as a loose alliance of nine majority-ruled States in Southern Africa known as the SADCC, with the main aim of co-ordinating development projects in order to lessen economic dependence on the then apartheid South Africa.
The founding member states are Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was formed in Lusaka, Zambia, on 1 April 1980, following the adoption of the Lusaka Declaration - Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation.
The transformation of the organisation from a Co-ordinating Conference into a Development Community (SADC) took place on 17 August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia when the Declaration and Treaty was signed at the summit, giving the organisation a legal character.
The member states are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SADC headquarters are located in Gaborone, Botswana.
The SADC vision is one of a common future, a future in a regional community that will ensure economic well-being, improving standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social justice and peace and security for the peoples of Southern Africa.
This shared vision is anchored on the common values and principles and the historical and cultural affinities that exist between the peoples of Southern Africa.
Still to arrive are the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Madagascar.
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