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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

South Africa will host the 17th Africa Regional Round of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition next week.

The Chief Director of Space Affairs at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and Africa Regional Coordinator for the competition, Nomfuneko Majaja, said the continued growth of the initiative reflects the continent’s determination to position itself at the centre of shaping global space governance, particularly in addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, resource management, and water security.

“As we host the 17th African Regional Round, we are not merely convening a moot court competition—we are investing in the continent’s strategic future in outer space governance, innovation, and international legal scholarship. This year’s topic reflects the need to strengthen Africa’s human capital, institutional capacity, and regulatory frameworks to harness space technology for industrialisation, socio-economic development, scientific advancement, and sustainable growth,” she said ahead of the competition.

The competition will be held at the  Casa Toscana Convention Centre in Pretoria from 25–26 May 2026.

“The success of last year’s participants, particularly Strathmore University’s historic progression to the global semi-finals, demonstrates that the continent possesses the talent, intellect, and vision required to influence the future of international space law. Through this platform, we continue to build a pipeline of African legal professionals who will one day draft policy, negotiate treaties, regulate commercial space activities responsibly and safely, and ensure that the continent’s interests are represented in global decision-making,” said Majaja.

Following the successful 16th edition hosted in South Africa in 2025, the 2026 edition will once again bring together some of the continent’s brightest emerging legal minds from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, all competing for the honour of representing the continent at the world finals later this year in Türkiye during the International Astronautical Congress.

The regional rounds are convened by the dtic in partnership with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and will be held under the theme: “Empowering Africa’s future in Space Governance for Sustainable Space Activities.”

The department said the theme underscores the continent’s strategic imperative to strengthen legal, policy, regulatory, and institutional capacity to participate meaningfully in the global space economy.

“It further highlights the role of space technology in advancing socio-economic development, supporting industrialisation, strengthening the implementation of the African Union space policy and strategy, and ensuring a stronger continental voice in global space governance.

“The 2026 edition builds on the momentum generated by the 2025 competition, which was held under the theme: ‘Africa Space Law for Global Solidarity and Equality,’ reflecting South Africa’s continued commitment to multilateral cooperation, responsible innovation, and the peaceful use of outer space,” it said.

In addition to the participating teams, the competition will feature a distinguished panel of judges drawn from across the globe, including Canada and several African countries, further reinforcing the international stature and credibility of the regional rounds.

Majaja said previous participants of the competition have already begun to engage across various segments of the space economy, demonstrating the competition’s value as a strategic platform for skills development in a sector that increasingly supports daily life, including navigation, communications, earth observation, disaster management, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.

In addition to the oral rounds, participating students will also attend the Africa Space Law Conference at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation from 28–29 May 2026, where they will engage policymakers, academics, regulators, and industry leaders on contemporary developments in international space governance. –SAnews.gov.za