President Mnangagwa’s SADC Chair Handover: From Zimbabwe to Madagascar

Southern African Development Community (SADC)

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is preparing to hand over the Chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to Madagascar, ending Zimbabwe’s one-year tenure as regional leader. This rotational leadership transition comes at a crucial time as SADC grapples with climate shocks, political instability, and post-pandemic economic recovery. Zimbabwe assumed the SADC Chairmanship in August 2024, beginning with control of the Standing Committee of Senior Officials and then the Council of Ministers. State media hailed the term as successful, praising efforts in infrastructure development, regional economic integration, and youth empowerment, especially in response to growing humanitarian and climate-related crises.

However, Mnangagwa’s SADC legacy remains contested at home, where critics argue that the government overstated its regional influence while domestic issues—such as inflation, governance challenges, and human rights concerns—remained unresolved. As Madagascar prepares to assume leadership, a SADC technical delegation has inspected the country’s logistics, infrastructure, and security capacity ahead of the upcoming Heads of State Summit. The new Chair is expected to facilitate policy dialogue on cross-border trade, regional climate resilience, and digital economic integration.

Political analysts believe Zimbabwe’s chairmanship laid a foundation—though largely rhetorical—for stronger future coordination. “The test will be whether Madagascar can transform these talking points into measurable action,” said one SADC policy observer. With the rotating leadership passing to an island nation facing its own domestic development challenges, there are concerns about balancing national priorities with the regional mandate. However, there is also hope that Madagascar’s geographic and economic diversity can help broaden SADC’s strategic outlook.

For Zimbabwe, the SADC Chairmanship offered a diplomatic stage to project Mnangagwa’s foreign policy agenda and attract investment rhetoric. The reality, however, shows limited deliverables, with many regional initiatives still in early planning phases. As the curtain falls on Mnangagwa’s SADC stewardship, the bloc faces mounting pressure to build resilience, promote democratic governance, and accelerate free trade mechanisms. The 2025-2026 cycle under Madagascar’s chairmanship may prove defining for the region’s progress—or stagnation.