Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is this evening leading Zimbabwe’s delegation at an Extraordinary SADC Summit convened to address recent political developments within the regional bloc.
The virtual summit brings together Heads of State and Government to deliberate on the situation in Madagascar, where recent political unrest resulted in the ousting of the sitting chairperson of SADC through a military takeover. Following the events, the newly installed Malagasy authorities announced their withdrawal from the chairmanship.
Interim SADC Chairperson and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised the need for the region to act with both urgency and foresight, ensuring stability in the present while safeguarding the future of the bloc.
“From its inception, SADC has stood as a beacon of solidarity, but also a community founded on the values of unity, peace, mutual benefit, and sovereign equality. As these very values are being tested by the convergence of challenges, we are called upon to act with both urgency and foresight to stabilise the present while safeguarding the future.
“The future of this organisation lies in our ability to earnestly deploy our institutional strength to find sustainable solutions to the challenges that we face. Indeed, the challenges confronting our region are profound, but they are also not terminal. Our collective sense of regional solidarity at this time is in many ways our strongest currency. Solidarity at this moment demands courage to act decisively in defence of age-long regional gains. The people of our region continue to look to us for leadership that delivers the vision of a peaceful, inclusive and industrialised region, which we have set ourselves to realise by 2050,” he said.
SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi maintained that the change in leadership does not negate the theme adopted during the 2025 summit of Heads of State in Madagascar.
“This summit is convened to elect the SADC chair for the remainder of Madagascar’s term, which is due to end in August 2026. This process will ensure that the SADC Troika leadership is complete in line with our founding treaty, the SADC Treaty, and that our organisation continues to function seamlessly while also ensuring uninterrupted progress towards deepening regional integration, economic development, peace, and security.
“Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, I must hasten to highlight that the change of the SADC leadership does not entail a shift in our regional focus away from the 45th SADC Summit theme proposed in August 2025 in Antananarivo, ‘Promoting Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC,’ rather, the region should remain persistent with this theme, which reaffirms our collective commitment to fostering industrial growth, agricultural modernisation, and adjusting energy transition as pillars of a resilient and integrated SADC region,” he said.
Madagascar was previously suspended from the SADC in 2009, with the ban lifted during the 2014 summit of heads of state and government.
The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council suspended Madagascar from all AU activities on October 15, citing an unconstitutional change of government.
The PSC called for a rapid return to constitutional order through an inclusive civilian-led transition and elections.
