By Thapelo Molefe
South Africa has officially assumed the interim chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), following Madagascar’s decision to relinquish the role due to political instability.
President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired the SADC Extraordinary Summit held virtually on Friday, where he reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to peace, stability, and regional cooperation.
The summit that was attended by heads of state and ministers from across the 16-member bloc appointed South Africa as interim chair until August 2026, in line with SADC’s rotational leadership principles.
Addressing the gathering, Ramaphosa said South Africa accepted the responsibility “humbly and with a deep sense of duty,” noting that the region’s stability depended on decisive leadership and collective solidarity.
“The people of our region continue to look to us for leadership that delivers peace, inclusivity, and prosperity. This meeting must therefore serve as a platform to come up with pragmatic solutions to challenges besetting our region,” Ramaphosa said.
The Extraordinary Summit, convened primarily to address leadership transitions and political developments in member states, also endorsed recent elections in Tanzania, Malawi, and Seychelles.
The re-election of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was formally congratulated by the bloc, despite widespread concerns raised by civil society and opposition parties about the credibility of the polls.
SADC “congratulated” President Hassan even as the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) found that the Tanzanian polls “fell short of the requirements” of the organisation’s own Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
In its report, the observer mission cited censorship, voter intimidation, and restrictions on freedom of expression.
It noted that in many areas, “voters could not express their democratic will,” and that the election environment was marked by irregularities. The mission also reported that some observers faced harassment from local authorities and had their materials seized.
On Friday, the government of Tanzania charged 145 people with treason over election protests, stating that the accused “formed an intention to obstruct the 2025 general election for the purpose of intimidating the Executive of the Republic of Tanzania” and caused damage to government properties, according to Reuters.
By the weekend, the government was formally looking to arrest opposition leaders who, alongside human rights groups, estimated that 1000 people have been killed since violence broke out. Government disputed the figure without providing its own estimates.
Despite those findings, the summit extended condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones during protests in Tanzania and Madagascar, and congratulated the newly elected leaders.
The summit also noted recent unrest in Madagascar, where protests and political tensions led the government to step down as SADC Chair.
In response, the regional body invoked Article 10(4) of its Treaty, allowing the incoming deputy, South Africa, to assume leadership responsibilities until a new chair is identified by the end of November.
Ramaphosa’s interim term will see SADC continue implementing its 2025 theme: “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC.”
He said the focus would remain on fostering economic growth and energy cooperation across the region.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the outgoing SADC Chair, offered to host selected regional meetings during the interim period to ensure continuity of the organisation’s work.
The summit concluded with an appeal for unity and stronger institutional mechanisms to tackle political crises, economic stagnation, and governance challenges facing member states.
“Our collective sense of solidarity at this time is our strongest currency,” Ramaphosa told the summit.
“It demands that we act with courage and urgency in defence of our regional gains.”
The next SADC Summit is expected to be held in August 2026, when a new Chairperson will be formally elected.
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