The SADC Ministerial Conference will convene for the first meeting of 2025, along with a comprehensive agenda focusing on assessing progress in the Regional Integration Agenda.
Zimbabwe’s Professor Amon Mawila, chairman of the Council of Ministers, will preside over the meetings on March 12th and 14th.
The agenda includes a review of the SADC Secretariat’s annual corporate plan and the budget for fiscal year 2025/26, focusing on funding interventions in line with local priorities outlined in the SADC Regional Directive Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2020-2030).
The annual corporate plan, approved by the Council last August, will serve as a strategic framework for implementing the program during the 2025/26 fiscal year, from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
The validity of the SADC Secretariat’s resources is a critical challenge for local organizations in promoting its integration, economic growth and development objectives.
The secretariat, led by Director Elias Magosi, is SADC’s leading executive organ for strategic planning, coordination and management of the SADC program.
It has relied on many years of financing as the programme relies primarily on donor support and member states find it difficult to provide adequate funding.
2025 presents the midpoints of the implementation of RISDP 2020-2030, and outlines six strategic priority areas. These include the foundation pillars of peace, security, excellent governance, and key focuses such as industrial and market integration, infrastructure development to support regional integration, and social and human capital development.
Furthermore, cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk management remain crucial to planning goals.
With five years remaining before the end of RISDP 2020-2030, the upcoming Harare Conference will provide an opportunity for Ministers to assess progress in achieving major regional integration milestones.
Among the goals set to achieve by 2025 are the establishment of regional financing mechanisms to support industrialization, operationalization of SADC humanitarian and emergency business centres, and strengthening regional energy security through increased power generation and cross-border electricity trade.
Industrialization is the foundation of SADC’s regional integration agenda, with prioritization beginning in 2015. This strategic focus is aimed at exploiting and maximizing the potential of SADC’s rich natural resource funds through added value and beneficial processes.
In doing so, SADC is looking to create employment opportunities, stimulate economic growth and strengthen the socioeconomic well-being of nearly 400 million citizens.
The Minister will also evaluate progress in addressing cross-control challenges such as strengthening market integration, advances in infrastructure development, and climate change and disaster risk management.
Zimbabwe, the current SADC Chair, defends the agenda of the 16-member organization under the theme of “Faciling innovation and unlocking opportunities for sustainable economic growth and development for industrialized SADCs.”
Another important issue that is expected to control the discussion during the Minister’s meeting is the developments made by Member States in fulfilling their commitments to the Three-Party Free Trade Area (TFTA) and the African Continent Free Trade Area (AFCFTA).
The Minister is expected to explore strategies designed to maximize the regional benefits of TFTAs that SADC has established in collaboration with the common markets of East Africa and South Africa and East Africa communities, and is officially in effect on July 25, 2024.
The TFTA is one of the AFCFTA building blocks, providing great opportunities for SADC member states and providing access to expanded markets that include 26 countries in East and South Africa (a population of about 700 million and gross domestic product of USD 1 trillion).
Among other important issues that should be addressed by the Council of Ministers is the security situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The region faces sustained instability characterized by continuous attacks by foreign rebels that have severely affected the community and hindered development efforts.
In response, SADC is actively involved through its SADC mission to DRC (SAMIDRC) and provides support to government forces in efforts to restore peace and stability.
In line with the SADC Mutual Defense Agreement, which states that “an armed attack on one person is considered a threat to regional peace and security,” SAMIDRC was deployed on December 15, 2023, extending its mandate until another year at the summit held last year.
The Minister will receive updates on progress towards finalizing the reform process in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The SADC played a pivotal role in promoting a comprehensive constitutional reform initiative designed to promote lasting political stability within the Kingdom through a panel of elders led by former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
Another important point of discussion among regional ministers is the member states holding elections this year. Polls are expected to follow best practices as stated in the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Controlling Democratic Elections.
Malawi, Tanzania and the Seychelles will hold general elections this year. For Malawi and Seychelles, the dates are provisionally set on September 16th and September 27th respectively, while the dates for Tanzania are expected for October.
South Africa remains extremely vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change, and natural disasters such as cyclones, droughts and floods pose serious threats to livelihoods, livelihoods and infrastructure.
In this context, disaster preparations are expected to be prominently featured at ministerial meetings.
In accordance with the orders of the Head of State and Government in August 2024, the Council will deliberate on strategies to promote emergency measures aimed at strengthening monitoring of weather and climate risks and mitising the negative effects of these increasingly intense events.
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The SADC Council of Ministers oversees the function and development of the SADC and ensures that policies and decisions are implemented accordingly.
It consists of ministers from each of the 16 SADC member states. Usually from ministries responsible for diplomacy, international relations and economic planning. Finance or trade.
It takes place twice a year in March and August just before the summit of the head of state and government.
Before the Minister’s meeting, meetings were held before the senior SADC officials, the SADC Standing Committee meeting, and the Finance Committee meeting between March 4-8. sardc.net.
South Africa’s News feature provides a reliable source of local information and analysis on development communities in southern Africa, and is provided as a service to the SADC region.
This article may be reproduced as having merit to the author and publisher.
The SANF is produced by the South African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), which has been monitoring regional development since 1985. Email: sanf@sardc.net
Knowledge for South Africa’s Website and Virtual Library www.sardc.net Development
