Antananarivo: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected this Sunday to the post of acting Vice-President of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), during a ceremony in the Malagasy capital. This position was previously held by Madagascar.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the formal handover ceremony occurred during the 45th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government. The summit, held in Antananarivo, was centered around the theme "Promoting Industrialization, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC." The rotating presidency of this regional bloc is now under the leadership of Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar, who took over from Zimbabwe's Emerson Mnangagwa.
In addition to the leadership changes, the Head of State of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, was elected to serve as the Acting Chairperson of the Organ for Cooperation in the Areas of Politics, Defense and Security. Meanwhile, King Mswati III of Eswatini was appointed as the Acting Vice-Chairperson of the same body.
Angola's participation in the summit was marked by a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tªte Ant³nio, who represented both the President of Angola and the African Union, Joo Luren§o. The summit aims to evaluate the progress of regional programs and initiatives under the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, which addresses priorities such as industrialization, peace, security, and regional integration.
The 45th Ordinary SADC Summit is tasked with reviewing and approving regional policies and strategies, while also deliberating on new policies to enhance economic integration, food security, regional trade, and energy resilience. The meeting sees participation from eight statesmen, including King Mswati III; Andry Rajoelina; Emmerson Mnangagwa; Daniel Chapo, President of Mozambique; and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Head of State of Namibia.
Also present are the Presidents of South Africa and Botswana, Cyril Ramaphosa and Duma Gideon Boko, respectively. SADC, with its Secretariat based in Gaborone, comprises 16 member states, including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The mission of SADC is to foster sustainable and equitable economic growth and socioeconomic development through efficient production systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance, and lasting peace and security. The goal is for the region to emerge as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the global economy.
