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Botswana Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Phenyo Butale says the Southern African Development Community (SADC) must urgently translate discussions into practical cooperation as the region faces rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

Dr Butale was speaking to members of the media on the sidelines of the SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs Retreat taking place at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, where ministers are gathered to reflect on regional responses to global disruptions affecting trade, energy and development.

He said the retreat comes at a critical moment marked by global instability, shifting trade routes and increasing pressure on supply chains, including disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions such as those around the Strait of Hormuz.

“The retreat happens at a time that there has been geopolitical tension, which has now led to a lot of uncertainties and a lot of realignments,” Butale said.

He warned that Southern Africa remains heavily dependent on imports in key sectors, including food and industrial inputs, which exposes the region to external shocks.

“You have about 2.4 billion of importation of cereals, which is about 80% of cereals in the SADC region. You have 58 billion US dollars in terms of inputs of mineral equipment that we’re importing from outside,” he said. 

Butale said these structural challenges require SADC to accelerate efforts towards self-sufficiency and regional value chains.

The Minister said member states must move beyond policy discussions and focus on implementation and co-investment in areas where countries have a comparative advantage.

“It is enough. It is time for us now to go to the practical levels. What is it that Botswana excels in that South Africa can join in to improve the capabilities and capacities of Botswana?” he said. 

Butale said the region should prioritise cooperation in areas such as industrial development, agriculture, and manufacturing to reduce dependence on external suppliers.

“We should coalesce around that. We shouldn’t be in competition; we should work together to ensure that we support each other in areas where we are excelling,” he said.

On migration, Butale said the issue must be addressed directly by SADC member states, but in a way that promotes economic inclusion and stability across the region.

“The issue of migration is one of those issues that we must face and confront head-on,” he said.

He added that improved economic conditions in member states would help reduce irregular migration pressures.

“When you have prosperity in our different countries, then migration becomes an option, not an escape,” he said.

The SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs Retreat continues at Skukuza, with discussions expected to focus on industrialisation, trade, energy cooperation, food security and the free movement of goods and people across the region. – SAnews.gov.za

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) says the ongoing Ministers of Foreign Affairs Retreat in Skukuza is expected to provide clear direction on how the region should respond collectively to rising global geopolitical pressures affecting citizens.

Speaking to SAnews on the sidelines of the retreat at the Kruger National Park, SADC Secretariat Head of Communications and Public Relations Barbara Lopi said the gathering comes at a critical time as member states grapple with rising food prices, fuel increases and energy-related challenges. 

“This retreat is very important for the Southern region, because as we heard from the two speeches yesterday, the global geopolitical situation is having an effect on the member states, on the citizens, in the sense that we are experiencing increased food prices, fuel prices, and also energy,” Lopi said.

She said the primary objective of the discussions is to ensure that ministers provide strategic guidance on how SADC should collectively respond to these challenges.

“So, the discussion here ultimately should help us to resolve the situation, the impact of the challenges on the citizens, and we expect to get direction from the ministers on how the region should move in responding to the geopolitical situations,” she said.

Lopi said while global instability presents significant challenges for the region, it also creates opportunities for SADC to strengthen cooperation and better utilise its natural resources.

“We should also acknowledge that, much as it brings challenges, it also provides an opportunity for the region to see what it is that we can do together with the resources that we have,” she said.

She highlighted the region’s resource endowment, including critical minerals and other strategic commodities, as a foundation for deeper regional collaboration and industrial development.

“The region is endowed with a lot of the critical minerals, 30% of those are from the region and also the other natural resources that we have,” Lopi said.

Lopi said the retreat is expected to produce practical commitments from member states on strengthening cooperation in response to global shocks.

“We expect to get some guidance on how we move forward, but also some kind of commitments on how, as a region, we are going to work together to improve the situation,” she said.

Migration also featured prominently in the discussions, with Lopi noting that the issue remains central to regional integration efforts.

She said member states welcomed South Africa’s position on the matter, saying it aligns with existing regional frameworks.

“The issue of migration, which the minister [Ronald Lamola] talked about, and the member states applauded South Africa for the statement that the minister made, which actually is in line with the SADC protocol on the free movement of people within the region,” she said.

The retreat continues in Skukuza, with ministers expected to refine coordinated responses to geopolitical challenges affecting food security, energy systems, trade and regional mobility. – SAnews.gov.za 

South Africa says its decision to abstain from voting on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change was aimed at defending the integrity of the global climate framework.

In an explanatory note issued on Friday, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said the abstention should not be interpreted as a withdrawal from the country’s climate commitments.

“South Africa’s decision to abstain from the vote on United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/80/L.65 is a reflection of our principled defence of the established global climate framework, rather than a departure from our climate commitments,” the department said.

DIRCO said South Africa had actively participated in the ICJ proceedings and welcomed the historic July 2025 Advisory Opinion on climate change obligations.

“Having actively participated in the proceedings and submitted comprehensive written and oral statements to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa fully welcomes and supports the historic July 2025 Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change,” the statement said.

According to DIRCO, South Africa consistently argued that climate change must be understood as a cross-cutting challenge closely linked to sustainable development and historical emissions.

“Our submissions consistently underscored that climate change is a cross-cutting challenge intrinsically linked to sustainable development, wherein developed nations bear the primary historical responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions,” the department said.

South Africa said it had engaged constructively during negotiations on Resolution A/80/L.65 and proposed amendments aimed at achieving a more balanced outcome.

However, government expressed concern that the final text selectively interpreted the ICJ advisory opinion and failed to properly reflect core principles underpinning international climate agreements.

“Crucially, the text interprets the Court’s opinion in a manner inconsistent with the bedrock principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement,” DIRCO said.

The department further argued that the resolution weakened the principle of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), which recognises that developed countries carry greater historical responsibility for climate change.

“By failing to properly reflect historical responsibility, the guiding principle of Equity, and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), the resolution dilutes the obligations of developed economies,” the statement said.

DIRCO also criticised the resolution for failing to adequately acknowledge the disproportionate impact of climate change on African countries.

“Furthermore, it fails to explicitly recognise the unique vulnerability of African countries to the impacts of climate change, a position clearly established under the UNFCCC,” the department said.

While Africa contributes only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent continues to face severe climate-related challenges, including droughts, floods and food insecurity.

“While Africa contributes only a fraction of global emissions, it suffers disproportionately from its consequences,” DIRCO said.

The department maintained that South Africa’s abstention was intended to ensure that future multilateral processes flowing from the ICJ advisory opinion remain aligned with principles negotiated under the UN climate framework.

“South Africa’s abstention is therefore an assertion that any multilateral resolution flowing from the ICJ’s opinion must faithfully uphold, rather than compromise, the delicate balance of equity and differentiated responsibility negotiated under the UNFCCC,” the statement said. – SAnews.gov.za

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Elias Magosi has urged that member states must urgently translate discussions into concrete action to shield the region from escalating global shocks. 

Speaking at the SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs Retreat at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, Magosi said the international system was undergoing one of the most profound transformations in modern history, driven by geopolitical rivalry, economic fragmentation and weakening multilateral cooperation.

Addressing ministers and delegates gathered in the wildlife-rich surroundings of the Kruger National Park, Magosi said the retreat comes at a critical moment when global instability is directly affecting Southern Africa’s development trajectory.

“It is both an honour and a profound responsibility for me to address this august Retreat of SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs at a time when the international landscape is undergoing one of the most profound and consequential transformations in modern history,” he said.

Magosi said the global order was shifting in ways that could no longer be viewed as temporary disruptions, but rather a structural change in how power, trade and cooperation are organised internationally.  

“The global order is experiencing a deep structural transformation characterised by intensifying geopolitical competition, economic fragmentation, technological rivalry, and growing uncertainty in international cooperation and multilateralism,” he said.

He warned that successive global shocks since 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia–Ukraine war, and escalating tensions in the Middle East, had exposed the region’s vulnerabilities and disrupted critical global systems.

“These events…have disrupted global systems in unprecedented ways, altering trade flows, investment patterns, energy markets, financial conditions, and geopolitical alignments, with far-reaching implications for the development of the region,” Magosi said.

The SADC Executive Secretary said the region must respond by strengthening economic resilience and accelerating industrialisation, food and energy security, and coordinated regional cooperation.

He said the retreat was designed to help member states reflect collectively on how to safeguard strategic interests and advance deeper regional integration in an increasingly uncertain world.

“This Retreat, therefore, provides a timely opportunity for Member States as a collective, to reflect deeply on how best to safeguard the Region’s strategic interests… and how to enhance our collective capacity to respond effectively and decisively to the increasingly uncertain global environment,” he said. 

Magosi warned that the global system itself was being fundamentally reshaped, with trade, finance and strategic resources increasingly used as instruments of geopolitical competition.

“What we are witnessing today is not merely a temporary cycle of instability, but a fundamental reconfiguration of the global system itself,” he said.

He added that developing regions such as SADC remain highly exposed due to structural weaknesses, including dependence on imported energy, fertilizers, machinery and industrial inputs. 

“Many of our Member States remain dependent on imported energy, fertilizers, machinery, and industrial inputs,” he said. 

Magosi further highlighted rising debt burdens, limited economic diversification and constrained fiscal space as factors that amplify global shocks across the region.

He said recent disruptions to global supply chains and maritime logistics had demonstrated how vulnerable developing economies are to external shocks far removed from their own borders.

“These disruptions affect not only imports and exports, but also the affordability and availability of food, fuel, fertilizers, medicines, and industrial inputs essential for our economic activity,” he said.

Turning to agriculture, Magosi warned that rising input costs, climate variability and animal disease outbreaks were placing additional pressure on food systems and rural livelihoods.

“In the agricultural sector, the implications are especially serious,” he said, citing Foot and Mouth Disease among the challenges affecting productivity and food security.

Despite these challenges, Magosi said Southern Africa remains one of the most resource-rich regions globally, with vast reserves of oil and gas, critical minerals, renewable energy potential and strategic trade corridors.  

“Few regions possess the combination of resources, geographic positioning, and market potential that SADC commands,” he said.

However, he cautioned that the region continues to export raw materials while importing higher-value goods, a pattern he said limits job creation and long-term economic transformation.

“In other words, we continue to export jobs and import inflation,” Magosi said. 

He called for a stronger push toward industrialisation, value addition and beneficiation, as well as deeper investment in energy security and regional infrastructure.

Magosi also stressed the importance of strengthening the Southern African Power Pool, expanding cross-border energy trade, and investing in pipelines, refining capacity and renewable energy systems.

On infrastructure, he said efficient transport and logistics networks remain critical for regional competitiveness and integration.

At the same time, he called for improved domestic resource mobilisation and coordinated approaches to external financing and debt management, warning that financing arrangements are increasingly tied to access to strategic resources.

He said the proposed Regional Development Fund (RDF) could play a key role in reducing reliance on external funding and financing strategic regional priorities. 

“The RDF offers an opportunity for SADC to mobilise resources for regional priorities, support strategic infrastructure and industrialisation programmes,” he said.

Magosi urged foreign ministers to expand the scope of diplomacy beyond politics to include economic transformation and strategic positioning in global affairs.

“Ministers of Foreign Affairs are therefore not only astute custodians of political relations, but also architects of the region’s collective engagement with the global economy and international system,” he said.

He called for greater policy coordination among SADC member states across trade, finance, climate, energy and global governance reform.

The Secretariat, he added, expects the retreat to produce practical outcomes that strengthen resilience, policy coherence and implementation of the regional integration agenda.

Magosi concluded with a strong call for confidence in the region’s own capacity to solve its challenges.

“We are adequate, we are capable, we are experienced, and we are talented enough to create a renewed, progressive, and truly integrated and resilient region,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za