Turbulent times: SADC leaders must step up to the plate

THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) recently hosted its 45th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

- SIZO NKALA

This year’s gathering was held under the theme: “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC”. The Malagasy President Andriy Rajoelina assumed the rotational position of Chairperson from the Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has chaired the organisation since August 2024.

Mnangagwa’s chairmanship faced its challenging moments, including the violence and instability in Mozambique following the holding of general elections in October 2024 and the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Both issues, which have far-reaching implications on regional stability, were not satisfactorily handled.

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), about 300 protesters lost their lives and hundreds more were injured as a result of the Mozambican security forces’ heavy-handed response to protests over the election outcomes. An extraordinary summit convened in November 2024, about a month after the elections, commended Mozambique for “successfully holding peaceful elections” and received an update from the then Mozambican president, Felipe Nyusi.

He was not asked any questions about police violence against protesters. Neither were opposition parties invited to state their side of the case. The handling of the post-election violence in Mozambique made a mockery of the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections, whose standards the Mozambican elections did not live up to.