President Joyce Banda in her speech as Sadc chairperson

“Millions of our women and men struggle to survive in conditions of poverty, deprivation and underdevelopment. They are hungry for food, though no fault of their own. They die from preventable diseases, through no fault of their own. They die giving birth to another life, through no fault of their own. They are raped in their homes and communities. They suffer violence at home, at school, and in their communities, through no fault of their own. Many of them have lost their dignity, through no fault of their own. These are the Sadc citizens who pay taxes. These are Sadc citizens who vote. These are our citizens and our neighbours. They work for us and we work for them. And yet, when they hear our voices and observe our actions, they see that in reality, sometimes we do not always work for them. Our actions suggest that the poor should care for the poor.”