Story by Oleen Ndori, foreign editor
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers meeting has concluded in Pretoria, South Africa, with regional ministers reaffirming their commitment to deeper integration, peace and economic cooperation across the region.
The meeting, chaired by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Honourable Ronald Lamola, brought together foreign ministers from across the region to deliberate on key political, economic and security issues affecting the bloc.
The meeting came at a time when the global environment is facing growing uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, economic volatility and climate-related challenges.
Addressing delegates at the close of the meeting, Hon Lamola said these developments have significant implications for the development and security of the region.
“We are in an era of uncertainty and strain arising from geopolitical tensions, economic volatility and climate-induced shocks. Our meeting devoted considerable time to assessing how these developments affect our organisation and the region.
“The success of regional integration will be measured by the extent to which our decisions translate into practical outcomes that expand economic opportunities and improve livelihoods across the region,” he said
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said the council adopted about 48 decisions focused on enhancing regional integration and addressing poverty.
“We have had a very successful Council of Ministers meeting, where we adopted about 48 decisions. All these decisions are aimed at enhancing regional integration, and there has been a good consensus among member states on how to move this region closer together and eradicate poverty through stronger cooperation. This meeting has been very successful, and it was hosted very well by the Republic of South Africa, under the leadership of my colleague, Hon Lamola. It has been a very good meeting indeed, and we look forward to more engagements. Ministers also agreed that we should have retreats mainly meant to enhance cooperation among member states,”he said
On the sidelines of the meeting, Zimbabwe also held bilateral engagements with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa to strengthen cooperation.
Discussions with the DRC focused on expanding economic collaboration and strengthening cooperation in peace and security initiatives within the region.
Professor Murwira said the DRC also expressed appreciation for the leadership provided by President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa during Zimbabwe’s tenure as chair of SADC in advancing peace efforts in the country.
“Zimbabwe had the opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where we reviewed the level of our cooperation. We are satisfied with our deep relationship, although we agreed that we need to move further on practical cooperation in the economic sphere. We also agreed to strengthen collaboration in the area of peace and security. The DRC also expressed its appreciation for the leadership provided by President Dr Mnangagwa during his tenure as SADC Chair in advancing peace processes in the DRC.”
Zimbabwe and South Africa also reviewed progress on key bilateral projects, including the Beitbridge One Stop Border Post and the planned third bridge across the Limpopo River.
“We held a bilateral meeting with my colleague Hon Lamola to review relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa, which remain deep and fraternal. We discussed joint projects we are undertaking together and reviewed progress since our meeting in September 2025 in Beitbridge. Among the projects discussed were the Beitbridge One Stop Border Post and plans relating to the third bridge across the Limpopo River. We are satisfied with the progress being made. We also discussed cultural cooperation, including the issue of the Zimbabwean birds currently in South Africa and the steps being taken for their repatriation to Zimbabwe. We are happy with the direction our relations are taking, guided by mutual understanding and respect across the region,” Professor Murwira said.
The SADC Council of Ministers plays a critical role in shaping policies and programmes that promote peace, economic development and regional integration across the 16-member bloc.
Among the key outcomes of the meeting was a decision to convene a retreat of SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs before May 2026 to further assess emerging global and regional developments and map the way forward for the bloc.
Ministers also reviewed the financial status of the regional organisation and progress in implementing the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, which guides the bloc’s long-term development agenda.
The review placed emphasis on prioritising high-impact flagship programmes aimed at accelerating industrialisation, improving infrastructure connectivity and strengthening the region’s resilience to climate-related challenges.
