Zim GBC News | Political Correspondent
PRETORIA – South Africa has taken over the rotating chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) following the sudden withdrawal of Madagascar’s military leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, whose regime faces ongoing political turmoil.
The transition was confirmed during an Extraordinary SADC Heads of State and Government Summit held virtually on Friday, where regional leaders accepted Madagascar’s inability to continue leading the bloc amid violent protests and a recent military coup.
South Africa, originally scheduled to assume the chair in 2026, will now serve as interim chair until August 2026. A communique issued after the summit stated that “the SADC Secretariat will consult member states to identify a new incoming chair by the end of November.”
The summit, chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also addressed recent regional instability. Leaders “expressed condolences to families of those killed during protests in Madagascar and Tanzania, and condemned the destruction of public infrastructure in both countries.”
While congratulating newly elected presidents in Malawi, Seychelles, and Tanzania, the summit acknowledged electoral concerns. The statement noted that;
“SADC and African Union election observers roundly condemned Tanzania’s election as falling below regional and international standards.”
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who chaired SADC until August 2025, offered to support the transition by hosting selected SADC meetings in Harare during the interim period.
In his closing remarks, President Ramaphosa thanked member states for their confidence, pledging “to maintain regional unity and continuity during the transitional phase.” SADC will continue implementing its current regional development theme focusing on industrialisation, agricultural transformation, and energy transition until August 2026.
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