Eswatini begins government-wide induction for SADC security organ chairship

Africa, Politics

MBABANE, Eswatini (NPA) — The Kingdom of Eswatini has commenced a government-wide induction programme to prepare its institutions for the responsibilities of chairing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

The exercise began on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senator Pholile Shakantu, meeting a delegation from the SADC Secretariat to review the Kingdom’s responsibilities and set the tone for the induction programme.

The SADC delegation was led by Professor Ishmael Kula Theletsane, Director of the Organ, and included Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of the Public Relations Unit, and Mr. Terry Rose, Senior Officer responsible for Politics and Diplomacy.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Eswatini on September 8, 2026, the induction programme will run from September 8 to 10 and bring together ministries, departments and institutions responsible for foreign affairs, defence, state security, public security, policing, immigration, corrections, anti-corruption, refugees, parks and wildlife, counter-terrorism, and Women, Peace and Security.

“The Kingdom of Eswatini accepts this responsibility with humility and a clear appreciation of the confidence placed in His Majesty King Mswati III and the Government by the SADC region,” Shakantu said.

The Minister stressed that the chairship must be treated as a coordinated national undertaking, with all participating institutions expected to understand their responsibilities, maintain the required level of readiness and contribute effectively to the peace, security and democratic stability of the region.

“Our Chairship must be approached as a coordinated national undertaking. Every participating institution must understand its responsibilities, maintain the required level of readiness and contribute effectively to the peace, security and democratic stability of our region,” she said.

Over the course of the induction, government institutions will engage directly with SADC experts on the mandate and working methods of the Organ, the preparation and conduct of regional meetings, implementation of SADC decisions, management of sensitive information, and the logistical and communication standards expected of the Chair.

During its tenure, Eswatini will be responsible for chairing and hosting meetings across the Organ’s political, diplomatic and security architecture.

These will include meetings of the Organ Troika, the Ministerial Committee of the Organ, the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee, the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee, as well as relevant defence, state-security, public-security and Police/SARPCCO structures.

Sector-specific engagements will also cover migration and immigration, refugees, corrections and prisons, anti-corruption, parks and wildlife, regional counter-terrorism cooperation, conflict prevention, mediation, electoral observation, and the advancement of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The chairship will also place important operational responsibilities on Eswatini. In 2027, the Kingdom will be expected to lead the SADC Electoral Observation Mission to the Republic of Angola during the country’s general elections.

Eswatini will also head the SADC Liaison Office to be established imminently in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

The office will support SADC’s engagement in Madagascar and facilitate coordination among the authorities of Madagascar, the SADC Secretariat and the Chairperson of the Organ.

“These responsibilities demonstrate that the Chairship is not ceremonial,” Shakantu said. “It requires vigilance, sound diplomacy, institutional coordination and the ability to respond promptly to developments affecting peace, constitutional order and security within our region.”

The Minister emphasised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, through the Organ National Contact Point, will provide the central coordination link between the Government of Eswatini and the SADC Secretariat.

All participating institutions will be expected to designate appropriately empowered focal persons, prepare coordinated national positions, identify capacity and resource requirements, and ensure that regional decisions are followed through to implementation.

“The success of Eswatini’s Chairship will ultimately be measured by the quality of our leadership, the discipline of our coordination and the contribution we make towards a more peaceful, secure and stable Southern African region,” Shakantu concluded.