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The Regional Caucus for Southern Africa (SARO) meeting aims to prepare for the Africities Summit which is taking place in Kenya in May 2022 says Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary-General of UCLG Africa.

This is the fifth and the last in a series of regional caucuses organized in preparation for the 9th Africities Summit to be held from 17 to 21 May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya.

Mbassi said the caucus was important as it represents all the people in the world through represented municipal association authorities. The regional caucus is for the members of the Southern Africa Region of UCLG Africa and organised in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

“We were hit by the Covid 19 pandemic and that taught us several lessons, the importance of solidarity, and the importance of “smart” Pan African Organisation,” Mbassi said.

The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, Regional Caucus for Southern Africa (SARO) two-day working sessions in Pretoria on 14-15 March 2022 in the capital city of South Africa provides an opportunity to exchange views on activities and programs at the regional level under one roof.

In his welcoming address, new SALGA President Cllr Bheke Stofile said central to SALGA’s participation in the international arena, as mandated by our member municipalities, has been to promote strategic local and international partnerships that would strengthen and build the capacity in local government through financial support, peer learning and sharing of skills. 

“It is through this deliberate intent that SALGA has been and continues to be an active player and influencer of the international agenda on local government. It has come with positive spin-offs in that SALGA has been able to attract several international support and learning programmes benefitting South African municipalities,” Cllr Stofile said.

Attending the SARO Caucus Meeting is Vice President of UCLG-Africa representing the Southern African Region and President of the Botswana Local Government Association, Cllr Jeffry Sibisibi, Presidents of the National Associations from the Southern Africa Region, Secretary-General UCLG-Africa, Mr Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Deputy Secretary-General of UCLG- Africa, Mr Morris Mbolela Executive Secretaries of the National Associations from the Southern Africa Region, including the Chief Executive Officer of SALGA, Mr Xolile George and guests.

Mbassi directed the working session to consider political priorities of the Southern Africa Region and Priority questions for which the local governments of Southern Africa wish to find answers at the Africities Summit in Kisumu. 

"This working session should provide the following, firstly, what are the priority issues that national and Southern Africa should be considered in the Africities, and what methodology should be considered, secondly, what are the five questions that the associations wish to ask the African Ministers and Development partners at the Africities Summit," Mbassi said.

The United Cities and Local Governments World Council is based in Barcelona, Spain, and the Africa Regional Headquarters is based in the city of Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco. The African continent is divided into 5 regions and SARO is the Southern Regional Office of the UCLG Africa.

Issued by The South African Local Government Association