Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON SOUTH AFRICA'S RATIFICATION OF PROTOCOL ON COMBATING ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
South Africa deposited on 29 July 1998 its instrument of ratification of the Protocol on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the SADC Head Quarters in Gaborone on 29 July 1998. South Africa, together with eleven other SADC countries, signed the Protocol in August 1996.
The objectives of the Protocol are to reduce and eventually eliminate drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and the illicit use and abuse of drugs through cooperation among enforcement agencies; to reduce demand through coordinated programmes in the region; to eliminate the production of illicit drugs and to protect the region from being used as a conduit for drugs destined for international markets.
The negotiation process and implementation of the Protocol has been and will continue to be a joint venture of the SADC and the European Union (EU). The EU has played a supportive role not only as the sole donor but also as a partner in the provision of technical expertise. Other SADC countries which have ratified the Protocol so far are: Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Malawi and Zimbabwe. It is expected that the rest of the SADC countries will follow suit soon.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 30 JULY 1998