South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has assumed the role of interim chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after Madagascar withdrew from the position. The decision was taken at an extraordinary virtual summit of SADC heads of state and government held on Friday. Leaders in attendance included Malawi’s President Arthur Mutharika, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema. According to the communiqué released after the meeting, South Africa will serve as interim chair until August 2026, with a new chairperson to be identified by the end of November.
The summit, chaired virtually from Pretoria, also expressed condolences to the families of those killed during recent unrest in Madagascar (September) and Tanzania (October), lamenting the loss of life and damage to infrastructure. The bloc congratulated President Samia Hassan on her election, as well as Mutharika and Seychelles’ President Patrick Herminie, whose victories were endorsed by SADC. Madagascar’s withdrawal was noted with “understanding,” citing recent political developments that had limited its ability to fulfil the chairmanship duties.
SADC reaffirmed its commitment to the theme adopted at its 45th summit in Antananarivo in August—“Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC”—and will pursue this agenda until August 2026. The bloc also accepted outgoing chairperson Mnangagwa’s offer to host selected SADC meetings in Zimbabwe during the interim period. The extraordinary summit concluded with expressions of appreciation to Ramaphosa for convening and chairing the meeting.
The development comes as SADC faces tests to its commitment to democratic principles and credible elections, following reports of violence and alleged human‑rights abuses in Tanzania’s general elections in October. The regional bloc’s response to these challenges will be closely watched as it seeks to promote stability and economic development. With South Africa at the helm, SADC is expected to continue working toward its goals of advancing industrialisation, agricultural transformation and energy transition, while addressing ongoing challenges and fostering a resilient regional community.
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