SADC foreign ministers meet amid rising global tensions

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola is hosting a special meeting of Sadiq Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The meeting at Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga is taking place while heightened anti-illegal immigration protests are spreading across South Africa. The regional body of a 15 member states will this afternoon deliberate on bread and butter issues that affect their citizens. The meeting of follows a resolution taken at the recent Sadiq Council of Ministers meeting held in Pretoria in March where it was agreed that Sadiq foreign ministers would go on a retreat to reflect on the prevailing geopolitical environment in the world and its impact. Junior Kumalo joins us now for the latest. It's a good to have you and thank you very much for your time. As I say, this meeting is taking place while global powers are increasingly pushing African nations to take sides. How are the ministers responding to this? I mean, what are the Sadiq ministers saying that will be a guarantee that these member states will actually stand together and maintain a strictly independent foreign policy?

[00:01:13]Absolutely, Mr. Mluli. That is a part of the discussions that are going to be taking place today led by South African International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola. Of course, they are going to be looking at the geopolitical space and some of the impact that it has had especially on the Southern countries.

[00:01:32]Issues such as the war between Ukraine as well as Russia, as well as the current war between the US and Iran, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and all of the challenges that have subsequently come out of that, including the high prices of fuel that we've seen in South Africa, not only in South Africa, but also in the neighboring countries. The 15 member nations that also make part of the Sadiq nations. That's a part of the issues that they are going to be talking about uh at uh the table uh from what we hear, uh issues such as how some of these Southern African countries can work together in trying to explore uh the reserves, especially when it comes to gas as well as uh oil that uh are in some of these countries, including Mozambique, including South Africa. But not only that, uh Tabo, also the challenges also posed uh by the instability in some of these countries, countries such as Mozambique. Uh there were companies uh such as uh Total Energies uh from France that was willing to pump in about 20 billion rand uh to our Southern African neighbor, Mozambique. Uh but because of the instability and the war that was happening in Mozambique in 2025, uh then that particular company then pulled out of that uh 20 billion rand uh 20 billion US dollar donation uh that they were investment that they were going to put in that particular country. Uh but also we've seen challenges when it comes to South Africa itself. Uh every time there is some exploration that is going to be done, uh there are organizations, civil organizations that also go to court and try and challenge some of these uh exploration. Uh this is not only uh related to South Africa, but also other Southern African countries. Uh so now they are meeting also to talk about this and ideas on how to go ahead with such exploration without facing this litigation that has happened or this instability that is also happening in some of these countries. Uh but of course, this also comes uh after heightened uh protest in South Africa around illegal immigration uh that have happened either in Cape Town, Eastern Cape. Uh we've seen it also happening in Gauteng as well. Uh so those are issues that have also been raised not only by Southern African countries, but also West African African uh countries that have also urged the AU uh to speak about this alleged xenophobic uh activity that is happening in South Africa. That's how they've described it. They're saying that the AU must discuss some of these things and they've invited South Africa to also take part in those discussions.

[00:03:54]So, we are definitely going to hear uh the minister Minister Ronald Lamola addressing some of these issues uh during that opening address that he is going to have at about 6:00, Tab. All right, uh