His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has implored Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to adhere to principles of good governance in their respective economies to attract investment and boost trade.

The Malawi leader said this in his keynote speech at the 42nd Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government where he handed the chairmanship to Democratic Republic of Congo President, Felix Tshisekedi.

The outgoing SADC Chairperson emphasized the need for SADC countries to entrench democratic values and constitutionality in the region as the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM), which, he said, successfully conducted its mission in the Republic of Zambia in August 2021 with the joint Organ Troika and SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC).

“In this regard, I wish to congratulate the Government and the people of the Republic of Zambia for holding credible and peaceful elections; elections which upheld SADC democratic principles. Similarly, I commend the SEAC Post-Election Reviews conducted for the Republic of Angola, DRC and the Kingdom of Lesotho to assess progress made. Such efforts are essential for supporting Member States in strengthening good governance and democracy, which are indispensable to the stability that gives SADC a competitive advantage as a destination for investment, trade, and tourism,” he said.

He also pointed out the need for Sadc to address security issues across the region.

“If a thriving democracy is the software of our region’s stability, then robust security is the hardware of that stability. I am therefore pleased to report that since the deployment of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in July 2021, a number of milestones have been achieved. These include the recapturing of villages; the dislodging of terrorists from their bases; and the seizure of weapons and warfare material. This has boosted the confidence of the communities our SAMIM forces are there to keep secure, giving them a sense of security and allowing internally displaced persons to return to their normal lives,” he said.

The day-long summit also ratified several legal protocols aimed at creating framework for regional cooperation on issues of labour, peace and security to accelerate economic integration and growth.