South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has assumed the interim chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after Madagascar stepped down from the position amid political turmoil.

The decision was announced following an Extraordinary Virtual Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held on Friday. According to the communiqué released after the meeting, South Africa will serve as Interim Chair of SADC until August 2026, pending the identification of a new incoming chairperson by the end of November.

The summit, chaired virtually from Pretoria, was attended by leaders from across the region, including Malawi’s President Arthur Peter Mutharika, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, and Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema.

SADC extended its condolences to the families of those killed during recent unrest in Madagascar in September and Tanzania in October, expressing regret over the loss of life and destruction of infrastructure.

However, the communiqué was silent on reports of violence and allegations of human rights abuses that followed Tanzania’s general elections in October — a development that some regional observers have described as a test of SADC’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and credible elections among its member states.

Despite the unrest, the regional bloc congratulated President Samia Suluhu Hassan on her election, alongside Malawi’s President Arthur Peter Mutharika and Seychelles’ President Patrick Herminie, whose victories were also endorsed by SADC.

Madagascar’s withdrawal from the chairmanship was noted with “understanding,” the document said, citing recent political developments that had impacted its capacity to discharge the responsibilities of the position.

SADC agreed to continue implementing the theme adopted at its 45th Summit in Antananarivo in August 2025 — “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC” — until August 2026.

The bloc also accepted an offer by Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa, the outgoing chairperson, 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. Jonisayi Maromo / IOL