Crisis summit puts Ramaphosa in charge

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) held an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government virtually on Friday, 7 November 2025, to discuss leadership changes and regional developments. The summit was convened after the Republic of Madagascar relinquished its role as Chair due to internal political developments.

The meeting was attended by heads of state, vice presidents, ministers and representatives from all member countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mauritius, Seychelles and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Executive Secretary of SADC and other senior officials also participated.

According to the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, South Africa has been appointed as the Interim Chair of SADC until August 2026. This decision follows Articles 9A(2)(b) and 10(4) of the SADC Treaty, which allow the incoming Chairperson to assume leadership if the sitting Chair is unable to fulfil their duties. The SADC Secretariat has been instructed to consult with member states to identify a new incoming Chairperson by 30 November 2025.

The summit extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the recent protests in Madagascar and Tanzania. It also expressed regret over the destruction of public property and key infrastructure in both countries.

SADC leaders congratulated the newly elected presidents of three member states: Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika of Malawi, Dr Patrick Herminie of Seychelles, and Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania. The elections were held between September and October 2025.

The regional body also agreed to continue implementing the theme adopted at the 45th SADC Summit in August 2025, held in Antananarivo. The theme, “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC,” will remain in effect until August 2026.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will chair the organisation in the interim, thanked member states for their confidence and commitment to regional unity. He also welcomed Zimbabwe’s offer, made by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to host selected SADC meetings during the transition period.

In his opening remarks, Ramaphosa said South Africa accepted the responsibility of presiding over the extraordinary session as the Deputy Chairperson of the SADC Summit, guided by the treaty. He said the meeting was convened not only to discuss the agenda but also to reaffirm the region’s commitment to peace, stability and prosperity.

“It is both an honour and privilege to address this august gathering of Heads of State and Government. South Africa has humbly accepted to preside over this meeting in our capacity as the Deputy Chairperson of the SADC Summit as guided by the Treaty,” Ramaphosa said.

He reminded the regional leaders that SADC was founded on the values of unity, peace, mutual benefit and sovereign equality. “From its inception, SADC has stood as a beacon of solidarity, a community founded on the values of unity, peace, mutual benefit and sovereign equality,” he said.

Ramaphosa said those values were now being tested by a range of challenges that required the region to act with urgency and foresight. “The challenges confronting our region are profound, but they are not terminal. Our collective sense of regional solidarity at this time is our strongest currency,” he said.

The president said the people of Southern Africa looked to their leaders for action that would deliver a peaceful, inclusive and industrialised region by 2050, in line with SADC’s long-term vision. He emphasised that the citizens’ immediate needs could not wait for the distant future.

“The people of our region continue to look to us for leadership that delivers the vision of a peaceful, inclusive and industrialised region which we have set ourselves to realise in 2050. But they cannot wait for that anticipated year to fulfil their current needs,” Ramaphosa said.

He said the extraordinary meeting was necessary because the issues under discussion could not wait for the next ordinary session of the SADC Summit. “This meeting must therefore serve as a platform to deeply reflect and collectively come up with pragmatic solutions to challenges besetting our region,” he said.

Ramaphosa thanked the SADC Council of Ministers and the Secretariat for preparing the documents that guided the meeting and said he looked forward to productive discussions.

The summit concluded with an expression of gratitude to President Ramaphosa for convening the meeting and for accepting the responsibility to lead the organisation during this period.

The communiqué was adopted in Pretoria, South Africa, on 7 November 2025.