The eyes of Southern Africa have turned toward Durban and it is now all systems go for the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to be held in eThekwini, this weekend.
The summit is one of the highest diplomatic and decision-making platforms in the region, with leaders, diplomats, government officials and delegates from the 16 Member States, poised to be in attendance.
The summit is preceded by the meetings of the Council of Ministers, which started on Wednesday and the Committee of Senior Officials, which was held earlier this month.
Speaking at a media briefing of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) earlier this week, Deputy National Police Commissioner, Lt General Tebello Mosikili, assured that eThekwini is “stable, secure and ready” to host the summit.
“There are a number of activities and side events taking place during this period, including rugby and soccer matches. Our security plans have taken all of these events into consideration.
“The deployment is not limited to the summit venue. We have comprehensive plans covering the venues, accommodation facilities, routes, side events, public spaces and other areas where delegates and visitors will be present.
“Our objective is simple: a safe, secure and incident-free Summit,” Mosikili said.
She noted that law enforcement has adopted a “proactive” approach to ensure all delegates and officials are safe.
“All specialised units and maximum available resources have been placed on standby and are deployed as part of the overall security plan.
“This includes intelligence, crime prevention, public order policing, traffic management and other specialised capabilities required to secure the Summit, its delegates, venues and associated activities.
“We are not waiting for incidents to happen before we act. We are identifying potential threats, assessing them and putting measures in place to prevent them from materialising. Our intelligence structures are on the ground, and all security agencies are working together under the NATJOINTS framework,” she assured.
Mosikili highlighted that South African law enforcement has “done this before” with safe events, including the G20 Leaders’ Summit held last year the latest in successful events.
“We are confident that the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit will take place in a safe, secure, stable and incident-free environment. But let us be clear: this confidence does not mean complacency.
“We remain vigilant. We remain alert. We remain ready to respond to any threat. Our message to those attending the Summit is simple: you are safe in South Africa,” she said.
Taking the reigns
This week, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola accepted the SADC Chairpersonship for 2026 – 2027 on behalf of South Africa, during the SADC Council of Ministers meeting.
Lamola said government is honoured to be taking the reigns while conscious that “this role does not belong to South Africa alone”.
“This is a collective responsibility that we must discharge in the interests of our community, guided by the principles of solidarity, unity, sovereign equality and shared prosperity.
“Allow me, at the outset, to extend our gratitude to the Republic of Zimbabwe for the important work undertaken during its tenure; to the Incoming Chair, the Republic of Zambia; and the Troika for safeguarding continuity during the transition,” he said.
The strategic priorities for South Africa’s Chairpersonship under President Cyril Ramaphosa include:
- Promoting peace, security and stability
- Accelerating industrialisation
- Championing the expansion and modernisation of the infrastructure that connects the region
- Strengthening social and human capital development
“Let us use this moment to renew our commitment to bridging the distance between the ambitions expressed in our regional instruments and the capacity of our institutions to realise them.
“As Southern Africa’s most industrialised economy, we recognise the duty and obligation to place our capabilities at the service of regional integration and shared prosperity. We approach the Chairpersonship in that spirit, with humility, purpose and a commitment to work with every Member State,” Lamola concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
