SADC begins implementing the 2020/30 Strategic Development Plan
PRETORIAL: THE meeting of Chief Secretaries and Senior Officials of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states has begun today, March 4, 2026, in Pretoria, South Africa, focusing on the implementation of the 2020–2030 Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP).
The session serves as a preparatory meeting ahead of the SADC Council of Ministers Summit scheduled for March 12–13.
From Tanzania, the delegation is led by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Said Shaib Mussa.
At the opening, the Chair, Deputy Secretary-General of South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, together with SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi, emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive review of the RISDP.
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They both leaders said the assessment would help measure achievements, identify challenges, and develop effective strategies for the remaining five years of the plan, from 2026 to 2030.
Additionally, key challenges were highlighted in implementing the plan including limited financial resources, differences between national and regional priorities, and misalignment between policies and actual implementation of the RISDP.
Ambassador Seokolo noted that the RISDP’s implementation has faced numerous obstacles, including the impacts of COVID-19, climate change, security challenges, energy shortages, food insecurity, and global political shifts.
He further stressed that SADC requires strong collaboration and robust strategies to ensure that the region’s development goals are achieved on time.
