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1 August 2008

The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) Business Foundation, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with the Nepad and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariats, will be hosting a Nepad-SADC Infrastructure Projects Conference at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg, on 8 August 2008. The event seeks to recognise the significance of regional integration within the SADC region, specifically within the North-South and Central development corridors, and provide a platform for incisive discussion and deliberation, towards the identification and implementation of concerted actions by all parties concerned.

The Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, will deliver the keynote address at the event to emphasise the South African government's development and regional integration initiatives on the African continent and within the Southern African region.

The Conference aims specifically to analyse regional integration within each development corridor, namely the North-South Corridor, to which Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are party, and the Central Corridor, comprising Burundi, DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, to monitor and evaluate the status of projects, as well as identify proactive actions for their successful implementation. Further to this, subjects under discussion will include the prioritisation of infrastructure projects for immediate action, and defining modalities for the establishment of effective and action-oriented Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

A key outcome of the conference will be the development of a concrete plan of action targeting specific projects to be pursued by the private sector, in collaboration with the relevant authorities and interested parties. The event is a precursor to the Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government, which will convene from 8 to 17 August 2008 in Johannesburg, and include a formal launch of the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) on the closing day of the summit.

For further information on the Nepad-SADC Infrastructure Projects Conference, please contact:
Thulisile Dladla
Tel: 012 394 1098

Zandi Mtewa
Tel: 012 394 3019

Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
1 August 2008
Source: Department of Trade and Industry, (http://www.thedti.gov.za/)