THE latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tanzania and South Africa is a clear indication that the two nations are working to deepen their current collaboration by defining and formalising key sectoral areas of interest.
Also, by signing the MoUs, the two nations have demonstrated a serious interest in seeing that the sectors of cooperation they decided to pursue grow quickly and benefit both parties in a sustainable manner.
The Director of Government Communication Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mindi Kasiga, revealed this yesterday in Dar es Salaam during the ministry’s monthly briefings, which were centered on a recent visit by the docket’s minister, Dr Stergomena Tax to Namibia, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi.
“The signing of the agreement means that there will be increased trade, more investment opportunities, technology transfer, educational opportunities and cultural engagement between the people of Tanzania and South Africa,” she noted.
She said it is now up to the ministries in both countries to keep an eye on the relevant ministries that signed the agreements to make sure they develop and produce results as a result of the accords.
The signing of the MoUs took place on 16 March this year and was witnessed in Pretoria by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was on a two-day state visit to South Africa and her host, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The agreements signed include cooperation in the industrial and commercial sector; political and diplomatic consultations and cooperation between the Mozambique-Tanzania Centre for Foreign Relations and the South African Academy of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Ambassador Kasiga further said Tanzania and South Africa have historical relations dating back to the struggle for independence in southern Africa in which Tanzania played a significant role.
On the Namibia visit, she said the two countries signed three MoUs on political and diplomatic consultations, cooperation, security matters as well as energy resources.
The MOUs were signed yesterday following deliberations of the three-day third session of the Namibia-Tanzania Joint Commission on Cooperation (JCC) in Windhoek, Namibia.
At the sideline of the meeting, Tanzania officially opened its High Commission offices at Khomas Highland Plateau Area in Windhoek, Namibia to foster bilateral relations in an endeavor to deepen economic ties.
On February 20, 2020, the Tanzanian embassy in Namibia officially started carrying out its diplomatic responsibilities, and Dr Modestus Kipilimba was appointed as the country’s first ambassador to represent Tanzania.
Ambassador Kasiga said another meeting attended by Dr Tax was the council of ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 18-19 March 2023 in Kinshasa, DRC to deliberate on issues aimed at consolidating regional integration, cooperation and development.
Among other things, the council approved the SADC Annual Corporate Plan and budget for the Financial Year 2023/2024 to support activities geared towards implementation of SADC priorities as outlined in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
According to her, Tanzania has included 11 projects in the RISDP, including cooperation to increase the value of the leather industry.
“This project is a priority for SADC because its members have a lot of livestock, but the majority of those animals’ skins are damaged or sold cheaply, resulting in a significant loss of income for the region,” she said.
Another area is cooperation in the water sector’s growth, particularly in the Songwe River Basin.
In Malawi, Dr Tax went to represent President Samia by providing humanitarian aid that was received by Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
“The aid is in the form of cash and various items worth 1 million US Dollars, including 50 tents, 6,000 blankets, 1,000 tonnes of maize flour, rescue equipment, 100 soldiers who will help distribute the supplies, two military helicopters that will be used in rescue missions, food and 300,000 US dollars in cash,” said Ambassador Kasiga.
