SADC PEOPLE'S SUMMIT MASERU RESISTANCE

By Susan Mwape

Over 400 people from Southern African are attending the SADC People's
Summit running under the theme "Reclaiming SADC for the People's
Development", have vowed not to leave Maseru until they have reclaimed
SADC. The people's summit started on 16th August 2006, is scheduled to
end on 17th August 2006 in Maseru Lesotho.

Assessing the prevailing condition in the region participants at the
summit have vowed not to leave Maseru until they have reclaimed their
SADC. They realized that SADC has constantly been used, abused and
misused for the benefit of the elite. Participants of the people's
summit feel SADC must be reclaimed because it is not serving the
interests of the people such as farmers, vulnerable children, youths
who have been pushed to the periphery of socio-economic life because
unemployment is still high and yet there is still need for decent jobs
in the SADC.

The participants at the summit realize that they are the true SADC and
therefore have demanded that SADC must stop basing its policies on
neo-liberalism. They have demanded an immediate end to poverty and
oppression. They have identified a need for decent food and not
Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs).

An ultimatum has been declared at the people's summit that there
should no longer be, careless privatization of water, public companies
or any service that gives the people the right to live. The
participants feel they have had enough of the World Bank, IMF, WTO and
corrupt leaders who make up a non-people centered SADC.

The people's summit has pledged to use it's strength and voices to
reclaim what has been plundered by the capitalists. After the SADC
people's summit, it is hoped that leaders will not develop any
policies that will continue to sacrifice livelihoods for personal
profits. The SADC summit has pledged its support for leaders who are
serious about fighting poverty and neo-liberalism.