Ramaphosa assumes SADC chairmanship as bloc congratulates Tanzania’s Samia Hassan

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has assumed the interim chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after Madagascar stepped down from the position amid political turmoil.

The decision was announced following an Extraordinary Virtual Summit of SADC heads of state and government held on Friday.

According to the communiqué released after the meeting, South Africa will serve as interim chair of the SADC until August 2026, pending the identification of a new incoming chairperson by the end of November.

The summit, chaired virtually from Pretoria, was attended by leaders from across the region, including Malawi’s president Arthur Mutharika, Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Zambia’s president Hakainde Hichilema.

The SADC extended its condolences to the families of those killed during recent unrest in Madagascar in September and Tanzania in October, expressing regret over the loss of life and destruction of infrastructure.

However, the communiqué was silent on reports of violence and allegations of human rights abuses that followed Tanzania’s general elections in October – a development that some regional observers have described as a test of the SADC’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and credible elections among its member states.

Despite the unrest, the regional bloc congratulated president Samia Hassan on her election, alongside Mutharika and Seychelles’ president Patrick Herminie, whose victories were also endorsed by the SADC.

Madagascar’s withdrawal from the chairmanship was noted with “understanding,” the document notes, citing recent political developments that had impacted its capacity to discharge the responsibilities of the position.

The SADC agreed to continue implementing the theme adopted at its 45th Summit in Antananarivo in August – ‘Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC’ – until August 2026.

The bloc also accepted an offer by outgoing chairperson Mnangagwa to host selected SADC meetings in Zimbabwe during the interim period.

The Extraordinary Summit concluded with expressions of appreciation to Ramaphosa for convening and chairing the meeting.

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