SADC 40th ordinary summit meetings to be held from 10-17 Aug

In view of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit and preceding meetings will be conducted virtually, with a reduced agenda, focusing on the handover of the SADC chairpersonship and critical institutional matters.

The 40th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and preceding meetings will be held virtually from 10 - 17 August 2020.

In view of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit and preceding meetings will be conducted virtually, with a reduced agenda, focusing on the handover of the SADC chairpersonship and critical institutional matters.

The Republic of Mozambique will host the virtual meetings as the incoming chair of the 16-member regional economic bloc.

The SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC.

The SADC Summit is made up of all SADC Heads of States and Government and is managed on a Troika system that comprises the current SADC chairperson, the incoming chairperson and the immediate previous chairperson.

The Ordinary SADC Summit usually meets once a year around August or September at the member State of the incoming SADC chairperson.

The current SADC troika comprises Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as the chairperson of SADC; his predecessor Dr Hage G. Geingob, the President of the Republic of Namibia, as the outgoing chairperson and Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, the President of the Republic of Mozambique, as the incoming chairperson.

The troika for the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation comprises President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa of the Republic of Zimbabwe as the chairperson of the Organ; his predecessor President Edgar Chagwa Lungu of the Republic of Zambia as the outgoing chairperson of the Organ and Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, the President of the Republic of Botswana, as the incoming chairperson of the Organ.

Mozambique last hosted the SADC Summit in 2012 under the chairpersonship of former President Armando Emílio Guebuza.

The Ordinary SADC Summit will be preceded by the meeting of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials, the SADC Finance Committee, SADC Council of Ministers Meeting, as well as the Organ Troika Senior Officials and Ministerial Council of the Organ Troika and the Troika Summit.

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)