Mnangagwa hands over SADC Chairmanship on August 17

Published: 6 hours ago

The 45th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government will be held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on August 17, the regional bloc's Secretariat has confirmed.

The gathering will mark the official handover of the SADC chairmanship from President Emmerson Mnangagwa to Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, bringing to an end Zimbabwe's one-year leadership of the bloc.

President Mnangagwa's tenure is credited with championing regional peace initiatives in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, overseeing the acquisition of a permanent SADC Secretariat Headquarters, and presiding over the groundbreaking of the SADC Regional Logistics Depot in Botswana.

SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi arrived in Madagascar on Sunday to prepare for the high-level meeting, which will be held under the theme: "Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC."

In a communiqué issued yesterday, the Secretariat said the Summit will focus on deepening regional integration through economic growth drivers.

"The Summit will focus on accelerating regional integration through key pillars: strengthening industrial capacity and regional value chains, modernising agriculture, and promoting an inclusive energy transition, all aimed at building a resilient, sustainable, and cohesive SADC region," read the statement.

This year's event holds special significance for Madagascar, which joined SADC in August 2005 and is hosting the Summit for the first time.

Ahead of the main gathering, several preparatory meetings are taking place, including the Senior Officials and Experts Meeting on the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), the Standing Committee of Senior Officials Meeting on Wednesday, and the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting from August 12 to 14.

Other key events include the SADC-US Dialogue Forum on August 13, a public lecture at the University of Antananarivo on August 14, and meetings of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation from August 15 to 16.

The Heads of State Summit will also review progress in implementing the SADC RISDP 2020–2030, assess reports from the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, and evaluate achievements under the 44th Summit held last year.

When President Rajoelina assumes the chairmanship, Madagascar will lead SADC for the first time since becoming a member, steering the bloc's priorities on industrialisation, agricultural reform, and the energy transition in the coming year.
- The Herald

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