CAPE TOWN, Oct. 31 — The South African government has confirmed that the country has taken up interim leadership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) following political unrest in Madagascar.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the government announced that, at a meeting held in Cape Town this week, it “has approved the request from the Executive Secretary of SADC, Mr. Elias Mpedi, for South Africa to assume interim leadership of SADC due to the recent political developments in Madagascar.”
“This includes hosting all SADC meetings scheduled from November 2025 and South Africa is expected to assume interim responsibilities until the Summit makes a formal determination,” said the statement.
It said that the decision is consistent with the SADC Treaty. “This request is in line with Articles 9A(2)(b) and 10(4) of the SADC Treaty which states that when a sitting Chair is unable to fulfill its duties, the incoming Chairperson should resume interim responsibilities until the Summit decides,” it said.
The move follows weeks of political unrest in Madagascar, where the current SADC Chairperson, former President Andry Rajoelina, was ousted during a military takeover earlier this month.
To manage the transition, “an Inter-Ministerial Committee will be established to guide, coordinate, and monitor preparations and execution of South Africa‘s interim SADC Chairship responsibilities,” the statement added. (Xinhua)
