DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 15 (Xinhua/GNA) - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers has adopted Kiswahili as the bloc's official language, a senior official has said.
Palamagamba Kabudi, the Chairman of the SADC Council of Ministers and Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said the Council adopted the use of Kiswahili during their two-day meeting in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
"By adopting Kiswahili as an official language for SADC, the regional bloc has honored Tanzania's founding President Julius Nyerere, the doyen of the southern African liberation struggle," Kabudi said.
He added that Kiswahili deserved recognition as it was the language used during the southern African liberation struggle by freedom fighters who were sheltered in Tanzania.
Kabudi took over the SADC Council of Ministers chairmanship on Tuesday from Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The SADC Council of Ministers held its meeting ahead of the 39th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held between Aug. 17 and Aug. 18.
The council consists of designated ministers, mostly ministers responsible for foreign and external affairs.
The council oversees the functioning and development of SADC and implementation of policies and programmes, and advises the SADC summit on matters of overall policy, including the efficient and harmonious functioning of the institution.The council meets at least two times a year.
GNA
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