The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira said that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council has adopted 48 resolutions aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and peace across the region.
Speaking after the Southern African Development Community Council of Ministers meeting that concluded in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday, Amon Murwira said the decisions were reached by consensus and are expected to accelerate development while strengthening cooperation among SADC member states.
“The meeting was highly successful. We adopted about 48 decisions that are meant to strengthen regional cooperation, deepen integration and ensure that our region moves forward together in tackling poverty and underdevelopment.
The resolutions focused on enhancing economic collaboration, improving infrastructure connectivity, promoting industrialisation and strengthening peace and security mechanisms within the region,” he said.
Prof. Murwira added that the spirit of unity among member states remained strong, adding that collective action was necessary in the face of global challenges affecting developing regions.
“These decisions were reached through strong consensus among member states and they are designed to bring our countries closer together while ensuring that regional integration translates into real benefits for our citizens,” he said.
He also revealed that Zimbabwe had held bilateral engagements with the Democratic Republic of Congo on the sidelines of the meeting, focusing on strengthening economic cooperation and collaboration in peace and security initiatives.
“The DRC commended President Emmerson Mnangagwa for his leadership during Zimbabwe’s tenure as SADC Chair, particularly in advancing peace processes in the region,” he said.
Similarly, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, who chaired the meeting, said the Council deliberated on key regional and global developments affecting the Southern African region.
“The world is facing growing uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, climate-related shocks and disruptions in global supply chains, and these developments have direct implications for our region,” said Lamola.
He said ministers agreed to convene a retreat of SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs before May 2026 to assess the evolving global situation and map a coordinated regional response.
“The Council also reviewed progress in implementing the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, which guides the bloc’s long-term development agenda, stressing that priority would be placed on high-impact programmes that promote industrialisation, infrastructure development and climate resilience.
The success of regional integration must ultimately be measured by tangible improvements in the lives of our citizens,” he added.
The SADC Council of Ministers meeting, held in Pretoria, South Africa, brought together foreign affairs ministers from member states to review regional programmes, financial status of the bloc and strategies to strengthen cooperation, peace and sustainable development across Southern Africa.
