SUGAR, FISH TRADE DEAL ON THE CARDS

His Majesty the King and  Inkhosikati LaNkambule upon arrival in Namibia. (Pics: Len Mohale)

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA – His Majesty the King and Namibian President Dr Heig Geingob held private talks at the State House on Thursday morning which prompted Cabinet Ministers of the two countries to zero in on specific areas of possible trade.

Both parties emerged optimistic, with Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze describing the talks as having kick-started a process that will lead to a signing of an MoU that was drafted almost three years ago.

“Our principals have mandated the ministries of the two countries to come together to determine how best we can implement the SADC industrialisation agenda. There are many products in both countries that can be explored towards this objective.

“For instance, Swaziland has sugar but needs fish and Namibia has fish but needs sugar. So we need to see how we can enhance trade. In 2014 we drafted a memorandum of understanding (MoU), now we need to look at how we can sign those MoUs so that we ease any trade barriers such as logistics to transport goods between Swaziland and Namibia. Namibia has a port, we have rail so there is need to link the two to best facilitate the movement of goods,” he told journalists.

The minister could not commit to dates, saying technocrats have yet to go through the fine print of the MoUs before the two parties put pen to paper.

The media also wanted to know if any discussions were held around illicit trade of wild animals and the minister said not at Thursday’s meeting but is a matter under discussion at SADC level to determine how member countries could cooperate to deter this crime and bring the perpetrators to book given its serious threat to the lucrative tourism industry.

The King, who is Chairperson of SADC and SACU, returned home yesterday after a three country working visit to South Africa where he attended the World Economic Forum at the invitation of SA President Jacob Zuma; to Botswana where he visited the SADC Headquarters and paid a courtesy call on the president Dr Ian Khama Seretse Khama and Nambia where he became the first Chairperson to visit the SACU headquarters which were inaugurated in 2015. 

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