Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo in ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar
THE SADC Council of Ministers will convene here today for a three-day meeting ahead of the 45th Summit of Heads of State to be held on Sunday.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira is the outgoing Chairperson of the Council and will pass on the baton to his Madagascar counterpart, Minister Rafaravavitafika Rasata.
The Council of Ministers oversees the functioning and development of Sadc and ensures that policies are properly implemented. It consists of Ministers from each member State, usually from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economic Planning or Finance.
The Sadc Council of Ministers meets twice a year in January or February and immediately prior to the regional bloc’s Summit usually held in August or September.
As per the programme published by the Sadc Secretariat, the Sadc–USA Dialogue Forum will be held tomorrow, the Sadc Public Lecture at the University of Antananarivo on Thursday, the Sadc Organ Troika Senior Officials Meeting on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation on Friday, while the Summit of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation will be held on Saturday, ahead of the Summit on Sunday.
A State dinner for Heads of State will also be held on Saturday. The SADC Secretariat yesterday said Madagascar was prepared to host the gathering of Heads of State, which will be held under the theme, “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC”.
The summit will take place at the Ivato Conference Centre in Antananarivo, marking a historic moment for the country, which became a member state of the SADC in August 2005.
“Madagascar is ready to host the 45th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Antananarivo on August 17, 2025,” said the regional body in a communiqué.
According to Madagascan media reports, Presidents including Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, Botswana’s Duma Boko, Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema, Nambia’s Nandi Netumbo-Ndaitwah, Malawi’s Dr Lazarus Chakwera, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Mozambique’s Daniel Chapo and Eswatini’s King Mswati III have confirmed attendance.
