Pretoria: International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Marius Fransman will lead a South African delegation to a two-day Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers meeting, which starts on Monday in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Malawi is the current chair of SADC.

“The SADC Council of Ministers meeting is a statutory meeting of the regional body, which convenes twice annually, usually in March and in August.

“The meeting usually considers matters from different sectors for decision and for noting. It also examines the performance of SADC institutions and approves its work programme and budget for the next fiscal year,” said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

SADC is the primary vehicle for South African foreign policy to achieve regional development and integration within the region. It strives for a balanced and equitable regional integration, as a condition for sustainable development in the region.

South Africa is one of the 15 Member States of SADC, which includes Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

SOURCE: SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIAL NEWS