By Susan Mwape - In Kinshasa
Over 200 people from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region converged at the Shaumba Centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for fifth Edition of the People’s Summit on 4-5 September, 2009. The Summit running under the theme “Reclaiming SADC for People’s Solidarity and Development Cooperation: Taking Ownership of our Resources for People’s Security.”
The summit which was officially opened by a Director in the Ministry of Regional and International Cooperation, Sylvestre Pakabomba B Koni.
In his opening remarks Koni expressed his wish to have the people of DRC involved in issues of governance.
“You are the people who are extraordinary on which the government of this country depend on. You have really said it when say nothing can be done without us,” said Koni.
He applauded the Civil Society for organizing the summit and participating in the development of DRC and the wider SADC region.
Earlier on, Francois Butendi, Acting Executive Director for the Forum of Congolese Organisations in South Africa (FOCAS), in his address, encouraged delegates to embrace the spirit of ubuntu (humanism).
He said democracy building in the region cannot be complete without the recognition of human rights.
“Organize yourselves you people, the African people must organize themselves so as to take control of their resources,” said Butendi reminding delegates of this year’s theme which is centred around reclaiming the regional body back into the hands of ordinary people.
He recognized the efforts made by the different countries including Zambia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi among others in traveling to the DRC to attend the Summit and solve the ernomous problems that the country faces. Butendi congratulated the Congolese people for making it to the summit stating that there would be no development without a change of mentality.
“There will be no regional integration without change of mind by the Congolese people” he said.
Butendi urged the people of DRC to analyse their problems seriously and try and find a solution.
He went on to emphasize that the solution to the country’s problems lies in the hands of the people of DRC.
DRC has not known peace ever since it attained independence. He said most of the problems facing the country are caused by external forces and people in high positions of the Congolese society.
“This is being done by powerful people dominating events and imposing themselves whilst exploiting the people,” said Butedi.
He went on to remind the delegates just how important it was for the ordinary people of DRC to be united saying a united people are much stronger than an atomic bomb.
Dakarayi Matanga, the current Secretary General of Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) expressed delight in convening the 5th Edition of the SADC people’s Summit in Kinshasa, despite the many challenges that the network still faces.
Matanga told delegates that SAPSN believed that it is the ordinary grassroots people that could lead the transformation of SADC.
“This is not a new phenomenon as the ordinary people have been at the centre of bringing political independence to the region,” said Matanga.
He implored the delegates of the genesis of regional intergration and solidarity which dates back to the struggles against colonialism in the SADC region which was led by the frontline states movement.
Matanga said the people of the region will be found wanting if they did not speak out and come out in full solidarity with the people of DRC in their fight to reclaim the Congolese resources for the people of Congo and the region.
“We have the Inga Dam that could supply power to the whole region and beyond yet most parts of Kinshasa and the region are in darkness. What we hear now is that the World Bank wants to export our Inga Dam power to Europe. SAPSN says these are our resources and should be for our people,” said Matanga.
In his analysis of the problems facing Congo, Matanga, said the country is richly blessed with all sorts of natural resources but it still remains a mystery why the people of such a truly blessed country still remain poor.
He said SAPSN was interested in knowing who owns the resources of DRC and SADC.
Matanga did not mince his words as he squarely laid the blame of the problems facing DRC on the doorsteps of the Multinational companies operating in cahoots with the rich and powerful members of the Congolese society to plunder the country’s resources.
Among some of the issues that the summit discussed are the role of external forces in the DRC, human rights, development issues, debt and trade issues.
A firebrand, social justice activist from Swaziland, Dumezweni Dlamini, said he wondered why the heads of states in the region are using divide and rule tactics to divide the citizens of the region.
He referred to the Economic Patrnership Agreements (EPA)s that are being negotiated between African countries and the European Union (EU).
He said the agreements are being pursued with the input of the people who are the owners of the resources that are being mortagaged in luxury expensive European hotels.
He went on to urge the social justice movements in the region to join hands and fight for each other.
He noted efforts done by the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) through its border blockades in solidarity actions with the challenges being faced by the people of Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
“I like the name Democratic Republic of Congo but I wonder, how Democratic is this republic?” said Dlamini.
END///
Over 200 people from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region converged at the Shaumba Centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for fifth Edition of the People’s Summit on 4-5 September, 2009. The Summit running under the theme “Reclaiming SADC for People’s Solidarity and Development Cooperation: Taking Ownership of our Resources for People’s Security.”
The summit which was officially opened by a Director in the Ministry of Regional and International Cooperation, Sylvestre Pakabomba B Koni.
In his opening remarks Koni expressed his wish to have the people of DRC involved in issues of governance.
“You are the people who are extraordinary on which the government of this country depend on. You have really said it when say nothing can be done without us,” said Koni.
He applauded the Civil Society for organizing the summit and participating in the development of DRC and the wider SADC region.
Earlier on, Francois Butendi, Acting Executive Director for the Forum of Congolese Organisations in South Africa (FOCAS), in his address, encouraged delegates to embrace the spirit of ubuntu (humanism).
He said democracy building in the region cannot be complete without the recognition of human rights.
“Organize yourselves you people, the African people must organize themselves so as to take control of their resources,” said Butendi reminding delegates of this year’s theme which is centred around reclaiming the regional body back into the hands of ordinary people.
He recognized the efforts made by the different countries including Zambia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi among others in traveling to the DRC to attend the Summit and solve the ernomous problems that the country faces. Butendi congratulated the Congolese people for making it to the summit stating that there would be no development without a change of mentality.
“There will be no regional integration without change of mind by the Congolese people” he said.
Butendi urged the people of DRC to analyse their problems seriously and try and find a solution.
He went on to emphasize that the solution to the country’s problems lies in the hands of the people of DRC.
DRC has not known peace ever since it attained independence. He said most of the problems facing the country are caused by external forces and people in high positions of the Congolese society.
“This is being done by powerful people dominating events and imposing themselves whilst exploiting the people,” said Butedi.
He went on to remind the delegates just how important it was for the ordinary people of DRC to be united saying a united people are much stronger than an atomic bomb.
Dakarayi Matanga, the current Secretary General of Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) expressed delight in convening the 5th Edition of the SADC people’s Summit in Kinshasa, despite the many challenges that the network still faces.
Matanga told delegates that SAPSN believed that it is the ordinary grassroots people that could lead the transformation of SADC.
“This is not a new phenomenon as the ordinary people have been at the centre of bringing political independence to the region,” said Matanga.
He implored the delegates of the genesis of regional intergration and solidarity which dates back to the struggles against colonialism in the SADC region which was led by the frontline states movement.
Matanga said the people of the region will be found wanting if they did not speak out and come out in full solidarity with the people of DRC in their fight to reclaim the Congolese resources for the people of Congo and the region.
“We have the Inga Dam that could supply power to the whole region and beyond yet most parts of Kinshasa and the region are in darkness. What we hear now is that the World Bank wants to export our Inga Dam power to Europe. SAPSN says these are our resources and should be for our people,” said Matanga.
In his analysis of the problems facing Congo, Matanga, said the country is richly blessed with all sorts of natural resources but it still remains a mystery why the people of such a truly blessed country still remain poor.
He said SAPSN was interested in knowing who owns the resources of DRC and SADC.
Matanga did not mince his words as he squarely laid the blame of the problems facing DRC on the doorsteps of the Multinational companies operating in cahoots with the rich and powerful members of the Congolese society to plunder the country’s resources.
Among some of the issues that the summit discussed are the role of external forces in the DRC, human rights, development issues, debt and trade issues.
A firebrand, social justice activist from Swaziland, Dumezweni Dlamini, said he wondered why the heads of states in the region are using divide and rule tactics to divide the citizens of the region.
He referred to the Economic Patrnership Agreements (EPA)s that are being negotiated between African countries and the European Union (EU).
He said the agreements are being pursued with the input of the people who are the owners of the resources that are being mortagaged in luxury expensive European hotels.
He went on to urge the social justice movements in the region to join hands and fight for each other.
He noted efforts done by the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) through its border blockades in solidarity actions with the challenges being faced by the people of Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
“I like the name Democratic Republic of Congo but I wonder, how Democratic is this republic?” said Dlamini.
END///
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