BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE – His Majesty King Mswati III has arrived in Durban, South Africa, ahead of the 46th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government, placing Eswatini at the centre of regional discussions on industrialisation, development and cooperation.
The King arrived at King Shaka International Airport on Saturday night after departing Eswatini earlier in the evening. He was accompanied by Inkhosikati LaFogiyane.
His Majesty was received on arrival by South Africa’s Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, as regional leaders continued arriving in Durban ahead of Monday’s summit.
The summit will be chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and is expected to set the regional bloc’s priorities for the coming year as South Africa assumes the SADC chairmanship.
The high-level gathering comes at a significant time for the region, with SADC seeking to accelerate industrialisation while strengthening regional integration and economic resilience.
The summit is being held under the theme “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.”
For Eswatini, the King’s participation comes against the backdrop of an important leadership transition within SADC’s political and security structures.
On Saturday, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi assured Eswatini’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senator Pholile Shakantu, of the Secretariat’s full support as she assumes the chairpersonship of the SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
Magosi made the remarks during the Ministerial Committee meeting held in Durban ahead of the Organ Troika Summit.
He said he was confident that Shakantu would build on the committee’s achievements and advance SADC’s collective objective of a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous region.
The development gives Eswatini an increasingly prominent role in SADC’s regional political and security architecture, while the King’s participation at the Heads of State and Government summit places the country directly in discussions on the bloc’s broader development agenda.
Industrialisation is expected to feature prominently during the summit, with SADC seeking to move beyond the export of raw materials and strengthen regional value chains.
Critical minerals are particularly important to this agenda as Member States seek to increase local beneficiation, attract investment, create employment and ensure that the region derives greater economic value from its mineral resources.
Agriculture and food security are also expected to receive attention, against a backdrop of increasing pressure on regional food systems and the need to strengthen agricultural production and resilience.
Infrastructure development will form another major component of the discussions, with regional connectivity considered critical to facilitating trade, industrial development and investment.
The summit follows the SADC Industrialisation Week held in Durban from July 27 to 31, which brought together government officials, business representatives, investors and development partners to discuss ways of accelerating implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap.
The King’s arrival also comes as SADC addresses political and security challenges affecting parts of the region.
During Saturday’s Ministerial Committee of the Organ meeting, Magosi said the region remained largely peaceful and stable but cautioned that peace and stability should not be taken for granted.
He highlighted developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar as matters requiring continued regional attention, while noting progress in Mozambique following the 2024 General Elections.
Madagascar remains a key concern for SADC following political changes and the establishment of a transitional authority in September 2025.
SADC has responded through an Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit, a Fact-Finding Mission and mediation initiatives involving its Panel of Elders and Mediation Reference Group.
The bloc has also recommended extending the Panel of Elders’ mandate and establishing a SADC Liaison Office in Antananarivo to strengthen dialogue and support political and democratic reforms.
At the Durban meeting, former Botswana President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi and former Mozambican President Dr Joaquim Alberto Chissano were also nominated to join the Panel of Elders, strengthening SADC’s preventive diplomacy capacity.
The security discussions will complement the economic agenda expected to dominate the 46th Summit.
With the King now in Durban, Eswatini is set to participate at the highest level as SADC leaders deliberate on the region’s economic transformation, industrialisation, agriculture, infrastructure, critical minerals, peace and security.
The summit is expected to produce decisions and commitments aimed at translating SADC’s regional strategies into practical programmes capable of supporting economic growth and deeper regional integration.
Following the summit, His Majesty is expected to proceed to Malaysia for an official visit.
The King’s arrival marks the formal beginning of Eswatini’s participation in a summit that could shape the region’s economic and political priorities for the next year.
(Pics: SA President’s Office)
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