Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
THE two-day meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers has begun in Pretoria, South Africa, with regional leaders focusing on strategies to strengthen economic resilience and deepen regional integration.
The meeting is taking place under the theme: “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC,” adopted at the 45th SADC Summit held in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Opening the session, SADC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Elias Magosi, said the meeting is an important budgeting session in the regional calendar and an opportunity for member states to review progress on regional integration and socio-economic development.
“Our challenge has never been scarcity but value addition. While our region is richly endowed with minerals such as cobalt, copper and manganese, many of these still leave our borders in raw form. We must ensure that our resources drive industrialisation and prosperity within the region.”
Chair of the Council of Ministers, Honourable Ronald Lamola, who is also South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said the gathering comes at a time of growing global economic and political uncertainty.
He warned that geopolitical tensions, climate shocks and disruptions to global supply chains are placing additional pressure on African economies, making regional cooperation more important than ever.
“Citizens across Southern Africa expect regional cooperation to make tangible differences in their livelihoods, jobs, food security and energy access. Our deliberations must translate into practical outcomes that improve the well-being of our people.”
Zimbabwe is represented at the meeting by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube, who stressed that pushing regional integration is vital towards realising the goals of the regional bloc SADC.
During the two-day meeting, ministers will review the implementation of the 45th SADC Summit decisions, assess the status of regional food and nutrition security, and consider the operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund.
They will also deliberate on the mid-term review of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and the SADC Secretariat’s operational plan and budget for the 2026–2027 financial year.
