The lacklustre performance of Southern African economies over the past year has been attributed to the AIDS pandemic, political instability in some countries, and the negative effects of prolonged drought. In his annual report, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) secretary, Prega Ramsamy, noted that regional economic growth had stagnated, jeopardising progress towards achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "If this situation is not reversed quickly it is hard to see how SADC is going to meet the MDGs," the secretary commented.