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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

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Foreign Ministers have been urged to move beyond observation and take coordinated action as global geopolitical shifts, rising costs of living and external shocks continue to strain the region’s economies.

Delivering opening remarks at the SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs Retreat at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister Ronald Lamola said the moment required “urgent, coordinated and forward-looking” regional responses to an increasingly fragmented global order.  

The retreat is being held in the heart of the iconic wildlife reserve, where early morning mist over the Sabie River and the distant calls of birds and wildlife provided a striking contrast to the high-stakes diplomatic discussions unfolding inside the Skukuza venue. 

The setting, Lamola said, was symbolic of a region shaped by shared geography, history and interconnected futures. 

Lamola used his opening address to frame the global environment as one in transition, warning that Southern Africa was being affected by forces far beyond its borders.   

He said the international system was undergoing a deep transformation, marked by shifting power dynamics and increasing instability.

“The international system is undergoing profound transformation as it transitions towards a more multipolar order, marked by intensified geopolitical competition, economic fragmentation, technological rivalry and growing uncertainty surrounding global peace, security and development cooperation,” he said.

He added that the shift was already disrupting global supply chains and intensifying pressure on economies in the region. 

“Unlike previous eras dominated by a single or bipolar power structure, today’s geopolitical landscape is characterised by multiple centres of power competing across economic, political, technological and strategic domains. 

“These tensions are increasingly disrupting global supply chains, reshaping investment flows, intensifying territorial and resource competition and weakening multilateral cooperation,” the Minister said. 

Lamola said the retreat was not simply a diplomatic engagement, but a response to a shared regional reality in which member states are simultaneously facing inflation, rising food prices, strained public finances and energy insecurity.

He reflected on discussions held at the March SADC Council of Ministers meeting in Pretoria, where ministers first agreed on the need for a dedicated retreat to assess global developments.

At the time, he said, member states had already acknowledged the growing impact of global shocks on the region’s development agenda.

“Together, we arrived at the conclusion that the resilience of our region, and indeed of our continent, was once again being tested by developments far beyond our borders,” he said.

He said those earlier deliberations made clear that SADC must urgently adopt coordinated strategies to protect regional integration, industrialisation, infrastructure development and food security from external pressures.

Lamola said the retreat was convened on the basis that Southern Africa could not remain passive in the face of global shifts.

“It was born out of the belief that we cannot afford to be passive observers while the decisions of the powerful reshape the global order in ways that risk reversing the gains we have recorded over decades,” he said.

A central focus of the retreat will be infrastructure, industrialisation, trade, energy, food systems and migration, issues Lamola described as “interconnected and central to the region’s future”.

He said migration in particular would be a key area of discussion, especially as South Africa continues to face protests and public frustration linked to illegal immigration.

“One of the thematic areas of engagement is on the movement of goods and people. This discussion will also be taking place during a period where a wave of protests against illegal immigration is happening in South Africa, particularly against immigrants of African descent,” he said. 

Lamola stressed that South Africa remains committed to regional mobility frameworks while insisting that law enforcement must remain the only authority responsible for dealing with immigration violations. 

“The South African government has condemned in the strongest terms any attacks against foreign nationals, and that no one has the power to take laws into their own hands; it is the responsibility of law enforcement to enforce the law, not private citizens,” he said.

He drew a distinction between migration as a regional development driver and irregular migration as a governance challenge requiring coordinated action.

“Migration itself is not a problem. The challenge facing South Africa is irregular migration,” Lamola said.

He noted that South Africa is among SADC member states that have ratified regional and continental frameworks on the free movement of people, including the SADC Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons.

Lamola also called for broader regional reflection on migration pressures, including what he described as “push and pull factors” across countries of origin, transit and destination.

“These discussions must also include the principle of burden sharing, with proper attention given to countries of origin, transit and destination,” he said.

He urged ministers to approach the retreat with honesty, creativity and strategic ambition, warning that the current global moment presents both risks and opportunities for Africa.

Quoting development economist Carlos Lopes, Lamola said the continent must decide whether it will shape or merely respond to global change.

“The current global disorder presents an opportunity for power to be exercised in new ways. But the window will not stay open forever. The rules will be rewritten. The only question is: will Africa be one of the authors?” he said.

The retreat continues over the weekend in Skukuza, with ministers expected to translate the discussions into a coordinated SADC position on geopolitical risks, economic resilience and regional integration. – SAnews.gov.za

International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister Ronald Lamola has reiterated government’s position that attacks against foreign nationals are unlawful and cannot be tolerated. 

Lamola was speaking on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Foreign Ministers’ Retreat currently underway at Skukuza in Kruger National Park, where migration has emerged as one of the key issues under discussion.

The Minister said several regional counterparts had raised concerns regarding the safety of their citizens in South Africa following recent demonstrations linked to illegal migration and growing frustration around undocumented foreign nationals.

“I am engaging with my counterparts. I also know that my counterpart from Ghana was also here. Still, some of the SADC foreign ministers have raised the issue with me, particularly Malawi, who were affected mostly by their citizens,” Lamola said.  

He stressed that government remained firmly opposed to any attacks targeting foreign nationals.

“We continued to assure them that as a South African government, we will condemn any form of attack against foreign nationals. It is in terms of our law, only the police can enforce the law,” he said.

Lamola said while South Africa continues to face challenges relating to irregular migration, only authorised law enforcement agencies are mandated to enforce immigration laws.

“We do have a challenge of illegal migration, illegal documented or undocumented foreign nationals in the country that we need to address, and we need as a government to build capability to respond to that, to be able to know who is in the country, what they are doing, where they are, and also when they’ve committed a crime. They must be arrested, whether it’s a foreign national or is a South African,” he said.

The Minister said migration would form part of broader discussions at the retreat, particularly as SADC pushes for deeper regional integration and economic cooperation.

“One of the thematic areas is migration, because regional integration will not happen if there is no ease of movement of people and no ease of movement of goods,” he said.

Lamola added that successful regional integration depended on cooperation between member states, stable borders and respect for the rule of law.

He also acknowledged the role African countries played in supporting South Africa’s liberation struggle, while emphasising the need to uphold law and order.

“We also understand, as South Africa, that the continent has a claim in us, in terms of them having supported us to fight against apartheid, to fight for freedom, but it does not mean that there must be lawlessness in our country. There must be order. There must be respect for the rule of law, and that should be enforced by the police,” Lamola said.

The SADC retreat is expected to focus on strategic priorities, including infrastructure development, industrialisation, trade, energy security, food systems, transport and logistics, debt management, and the free movement of people, goods and services across the region. – SAnews.gov.za

Foreign Affairs Ministers from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have gathered at Skukuza in the iconic Kruger National Park for a high-level retreat aimed at crafting a coordinated regional response to mounting geopolitical and economic pressures affecting Southern Africa.

Hosted by South Africa through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the retreat comes as the region grapples with the far-reaching effects of global conflicts, energy insecurity, food price shocks and migration challenges.

South Africa is convening the meeting in its capacity as interim Chair of SADC, with International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola chairing the retreat as head of the SADC Council of Ministers.

Set against the backdrop of the world-renowned wildlife reserve, the retreat reflects the region’s intention to step away from formal diplomatic settings to engage in strategic reflection on the shifting global order and its implications for Southern Africa’s future.

Speaking ahead of the official opening of the retreat on Thursday, Lamola said the region could no longer afford to respond to global crises in isolation, particularly as geopolitical conflicts increasingly affect the daily lives of ordinary citizens across Southern Africa.

“This is a very significant engagement of SADC foreign ministers. As we have already said, the impact of geopolitics affects all countries, even countries far away from where the conflict is happening,” Lamola said.

He pointed to the ongoing conflict involving Iran and instability around the Strait of Hormuz as key concerns for the region, warning that disruptions in global energy and supply chains continue to drive up the cost of living.

“You will remember the first conflict that had a huge impact on petrol, on grain fertilizer was the Ukraine conflict, and now the conflict in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, which affects a lot of the African continent, particularly on oil, energy, the impact into the price of food and everything that we do on our daily lives, including fertilizer that goes through that Strait,” he said. 

Lamola said the retreat was born out of a collective realisation by SADC ministers that member states were facing similar pressures and needed a united response.

“When you are alone in South Africa, someone alone in Zimbabwe, someone alone in Malawi, you think that you are the only one affected. When all of us are significantly impacted the same way, we can pull our heads together, including our resources together to respond to this challenge,” he said.

The Minister highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in energy production and resource-sharing, citing Angola’s oil production capacity, Mozambique’s gas reserves and South Africa’s coal-to-fuel capabilities through Sasol as examples of opportunities for collaboration.

“How do the southern countries work together to respond to this with the resources that we have? How do we support each other to be able to respond to this, including the issues of fertilizer, including the issues related to the impact of this on the food prices, and so forth?” he said.

Discussions at the retreat continue on Saturday, with ministers and experts expected to engage in a series of high-level panel sessions focusing on the impact of global geopolitical developments on the SADC region.

The programme will begin with reflections by Foreign Affairs Ministers on evolving geopolitical developments, followed by a presentation by the SADC Secretariat on the regional impact of global tensions.

Key thematic discussions scheduled for the day include financing regional integration, investment, public debt management and domestic revenue mobilisation.

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau is expected to participate virtually in discussions on industrialisation, value chains and trade alongside Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira and SADC trade experts. 

Infrastructure, transport and logistics, as well as the free movement of people, goods and services, will also come under discussion, with participation from SADC infrastructure officials and representatives from AUDA-NEPAD.

Energy security is expected to feature prominently, with South African Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, Zimbabwe’s Mines Minister Polite Kambamura and Angola’s Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas Minister Diamantino Azevedo set to participate in discussions on oil, gas and mineral resources.

The day will conclude with a panel on agriculture, supply chains and food security, amid growing regional concerns over rising input costs, fertilizer access and climate-related pressures on food systems. – SAnews.gov.za