SADC 2017 Day celebration held in Accra
The 2017 edition of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Day celebration, which seeks to bring Southern African countries together to reach a common goal, has taken place at the Burma Camp in Accra, Ghana.
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SADC is a regional economic community body that facilitates implementation of group's programmes and activities to meet the objectives and overall goal of poverty eradication and regional integration.
Anglo Gold Ashanti, Iduapriem Gold Mine at Tarkwa in the Western Region, sponsored the day's programme.
Briefing Graphic Online about the programme at the weekend, the Senior Communications Officer of Anglo Gold Ashanti, Nana Ekua Sekyiwa Darko, indicated that member states which participated in the celebration, were, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe while some Head of Missions in Ghana also took part in the meeting.
Theme
The theme, "Partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry and Regional Value Chains." Established in 1992, SADC Day is celebrated every year in honour of its founding fathers and to pay tribute to its achievements, including projects undertaken in the area of regional integration and solidarity while the meeting sought to unite members in Ghana.
Exhibition
As part of the programme line up, an exhibition was mounted to showcase initiatives and community social investments undertaken by Anglo Gold Ashanti in leaving its communities with a sustainable future.
The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Madam Lulama Xingwana, explained that it was the aim of SADC to play a meaningful role in Ghana by complementing the efforts of diplomatic work undertaken by the missions in Ghana.
He added that the development community group was also formed to open up trade opportunities between African countries in general.
The Managing Director of Anglo Gold Ashanti, Iduapriem Gold Mine, Mr Jasper Musadaidzwa, who also attended the meeting in an address, indicated that his company was committed to strengthening its relationships with key development partners of which SADC was one.
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Support/community investment
He declared, "Our support towards this celebration underpins our value of leaving our communities and societies with a sustainable future for us being there."
Mr Musadaidzwa disclosed that some of the community investment, were initiatives that had been rolled out under the company's social infrastructure such as economic development, education, health and safety, culture and heritage as well as human capital development.
Those, he explained were in line with its value to ensure that the communities in which AngloGold operated benefited from its presence, saying, "We will support government's efforts and that of the diplomatic missions in ensuring sustainable future for the people in poverty alleviation programmes."
For instance, the Managing Director disclosed that the company had rehabilitated and handed over an infirmary, stocked with medication to the Tarkwa Local Prisons as well as the provision of 40 television sets and 20 plastic wall fans to help in the information process of the inmates, among many other assistance to the host communities.
The Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Charles Josob, who is also the Chairman of the SADC group of Ambassadors in Ghana commended Anglo Gold Ashanti, Iduapriem for supporting the event in Ghana.
