Media Statement

19 July 2023

Minister Pandor leads South African delegation to a SADC Ministerial Meeting in Namibia

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will lead a South African Government delegation in the 25th Ordinary Meeting of the SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on 20-21 July 2023 in Windhoek, Namibia. The delegation includes the Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, and the Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

Namibia is the current Chair of the Organ, supported by South Africa (outgoing chair) and Botswana (incoming Chair). The mandate of the Organ is to promote peace and stability in the SADC region as a prerequisite for the achievement of SADC objectives of socio-economic development, poverty eradication and regional integration.

It is expected that the meeting will take stock of the work of the Organ and receive reports on the implementation of the decisions of the last MCO held in July 2022 in Pretoria, South Africa, and the SADC Summit of the Heads of State and Governments held in August 2022 in Kinshasa, DRC.

The meeting will also receive reports from the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC) and the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC).

The outcomes of the meeting will be presented at the Ordinary Summit of the Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation which will be held in August 2023 in the Republic of Angola.

Enquiries: Mr Clayson Monyela, Spokesperson for DIRCO, 082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building

460 Soutpansberg Road

Rietondale

Pretoria

0084