Ramaphosa to take part in 42nd SADC summit in Kinshasa

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to undertake a working visit to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday to participate in the 42nd Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government.

Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor; Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele and Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thabang Makwetla.

Regional leaders will deliberate on the region’s development under the theme “Promoting industrialisation through, agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, and regional value chains for inclusive and resilient economic growth”.

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The theme underscores efforts to strengthen implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030

South Africa leverages SADC as its primary foreign policy vehicle for achieving regional development and integration within Southern Africa.

The SADC Summit will take place on 17 and 18 August 2022 at Palais du Peuple (Parliament Building).

Member States will receive an update on progress made in the implementation of strategic policies and previous Summit decisions, since the last meeting in August of 2021 held in Lilongwe Malawi.

Given the frequency of natural disasters in the region, the Summit is expected to adopt a Memorandum of Agreement on the establishment and operationalisation of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) to be hosted in Mozambique.

The Summit will also deliberate on a proposed amendment to a protocol on the development of tourism in the region, as well as an amendment to the Treaty of the Southern African Development Community that entails recognition of the SADC Parliament as a SADC Institution.

Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the outgoing Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and Facilitator of the Lesotho Peace Process, will lead discussions of the SADC Organ Troika Summit, which is responsible for promoting peace and security in the region.

During the Summit, President Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the DRC will take over the chairpersonship of SADC from President Lazarus Chakwera of the Republic of Malawi.

Malawi assumed the Chair on 17th August 2021 during the 41st SADC Summit held in Lilongwe, Malawi.

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