SADC transport ministers held a one-day meeting in Maseru, which was preceded by a two-day meeting of senior officials to review their work programmes in meteorology and transport.

On the transport agenda, the ministers wanted to implement road transport programmes that included harmonisation of road user charges, vehicle overload control, vehicle equipment and dimensions as well as the third party motor vehicle insurance.

Addressing the SADC Ministers meeting at the National Convention Centre on Thursday, the Prime Minister Mr. Pakalitha Mosisili urged participants to ensure the regional economic wellbeing and improvement of the quality of life of the communities.

“This vision can be realised if supported by a very strong transport and meteorology sectors that ensure that the habitants get unlimited access to social and economic services”, he said.

Outlining the importance of the transport sector, Mr. Mosisili noted that the sector does not only ensure movement of goods but also of persons hence needs to be developed.

He appealed to ministers to domesticate protocols, programmes and policies that they will come up with to the peoples of their countries and explain to them what they entail and how they will impact on their lives.

He said people on the ground need to know and prepare themselves on the new developments and unless they do that, they will continue to agree on policies, programmes and strategies at the leadership level but their people will be left behind.

He challenged that to look at this aspect seriously and domesticate policies and protocols that they agree among themselves not only in terms of taking to parliaments for approval, but also in terms of thoroughly explaining them to their people.

Meanwhile the SADC Member States have declared that infrastructure be given priority as a basis for attainment of deeper integration, sustainable socio-economic development and poverty eradication.

However the infrastructure challenges that still plague the region are numerous.

The Minister of Public Works and Transport from Lesotho Mr. Ts'ele Chakela admitted that the region has taken great strides to identify these problems through several fora where discussions and exchange of experiences resulted in rationally proposed solutions.

“Despite significant gains that have been registered in transport infrastructure development, as a region, we still face problems of implementation, important road and rail networks are yet to secure funding for their implementation,” he said.

The SADC Acting Chief Director Mr. Remmy Makumbe said “the regional programme in the area of transport and meteorology is feasible, do-able and failure is not an option as our people will judge us harshly, given our objective of leaving behind, a legacy of development”.

He said achievements in the provision of infrastructure are the way to enhance the region's potential to attain Millennium Development Goals as key measure on the quality of lives of people.

Source: LENA 10/07/2008