International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, is in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he is participating in the meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers.

The Council of Ministers oversees the functioning and development of SADC and ensures that policies are properly implemented.

The council consists of Ministers from each Member State, usually from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economic Planning or Finance, and it meets twice a year.

The meeting, which kicks off today, takes place ahead of the 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government. It will conclude on Wednesday

The summit will take place under the theme: ‘Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an Industrialised SADC’.

The SADC Organ Troika Summit will also be held on 16 August 2024.

The summit will provide an opportunity for SADC leaders to assess and review progress made in terms of the region’s flagship integration a
genda, the Regional Strategic Indicative Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, as well as address matters relating to peace and security in the region.

During the summit, Zimbabwe will assume the chairpersonship of SADC, taking over from Angola, which chaired SADC since the previous summit held in Luanda in August 2023.

Source: South African Government News Agency