Lamola outlines South Africa's foreign policy agenda within constitutional and multilatera

SOUTH AFRICA CHARTS REGIONAL AND GLOBAL COURSE AMID CONSTITUTIONAL ANNIVERSARY AND MULTILATERAL COMMITMENTS

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola used a media briefing at the OR Tambo Building in Pretoria to lay out South Africa’s foreign policy priorities, anchoring the government’s approach to global affairs in the constitutional principles and institutional frameworks that have guided the country for three decades.

The briefing coincides with South Africa’s commemoration of the 30th anniversary of its Constitution and the 70th anniversary of the 1956 women’s march. Lamola framed these milestones not merely as historical markers but as expressions of enduring institutional commitments to human dignity, equality, freedom and justice. These constitutional values, he stated, have shaped South Africa’s engagement with the African continent and the international community, and continue to inform the nation’s approach to multilateralism, human rights and international solidarity.

On the regional governance front, the government is preparing to host the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Durban from August 3 to 17, 2026. South Africa currently holds the Interim Chair of SADC following developments at the 45th Ordinary Summit in Madagascar. The hosting of this Summit will culminate in the formal assumption of the SADC Chairpersonship by President Cyril Ramaphosa for the 2026/27 period. The Summit operates under the theme: Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.

The formal Summit programme commenced on August 4, 2026 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre with technical and preparatory meetings. The first engagements include the Meeting of Senior Officials on the Mechanism for Rationalisation of Council and Summit Decisions and the SADC Presidential Champions Initiative, which began on August 4 and concludes on August 5. These discussions aim to strengthen the effectiveness of SADC decision-making and enhance implementation of regional priorities through high-level political leadership and accountability.

The Summit process unfolds through a structured sequence of technical, senior official, ministerial and political meetings. The Standing Committee of Senior Officials convenes August 6 to 7 to consider reports and recommendations from sectoral structures and prepare recommendations for Ministers. A Finance Committee Meeting on August 8 will address SADC budgetary, resource mobilisation and financial sustainability matters. Document preparation and finalisation will occur August 9 to 11, consolidating reports for ministerial consideration. The Council of Ministers Meeting, chaired by Lamola in his capacity as Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, will take place August 12 to 14 to consider recommendations from officials and adopt policy decisions for submission to the Summit.

President Ramaphosa will deliver the SADC Public Lecture on August 14 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, addressing the theme: Translating Vision 2050 into Action: Pathways Towards Solidarity, Equality and Shared Prosperity. Organ Troika Meetings on August 15 will address regional peace and security matters through Senior Officials and the Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. The Organ Troika Summit convenes August 16, coinciding with the arrival of Heads of State and Government and a state banquet hosted by Ramaphosa. The formal Summit on August 17 will include the official opening, the formal handover of SADC Chairpersonship from Zimbabwe to South Africa, and deliberations on regional priorities. Heads of State and Government are expected to consider 47 decisions submitted through the Summit process, though the final number may be amended based on preparatory deliberations.

Key outcomes expected from the Summit process include accelerating regional industrialisation and value chain development, strengthening infrastructure connectivity and transport corridors, enhancing agricultural productivity and food security, advancing beneficiation of critical minerals, improving regional peace and security, strengthening resource mobilisation and the operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund, and enhancing implementation and monitoring of SADC decisions through the Rationalisation Mechanism and Presidential Champions Initiative.

The Summit will also provide South Africa with a platform to articulate its approach to migration management and regional cooperation on migration-related challenges. The government is implementing a comprehensive migration management approach that strengthens border security, combats irregular migration, addresses the unlawful employment of undocumented migrants, and enhances enforcement of immigration and labour laws.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations level, Lamola reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law. His position was direct: the answer to the current crisis of multilateralism is not less multilateralism but better and more inclusive multilateralism. International law cannot be applied selectively, he argued, and the credibility of the international system depends on the equal application of its rules regardless of the power or influence of states involved. South Africa will advance these principles in close cooperation with Bangladesh, which holds the Presidency of the General Assembly during the 81st session, under the theme: Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.

The government commended the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 80th session and acknowledged Ms Thandekile Tshabalala for her outstanding contribution as a seconded official supporting the advancement of the African agenda. South Africa’s participation in the High-Level Week of the General Assembly commences on September 22, 2026.

The 81st session will mark a change in leadership as Secretary General Guterres’ term draws to an end. The government commended the outgoing Secretary General for his leadership and commitment to multilateralism. South Africa looks forward to working with the next incumbent in a manner that reforms the UN so that it is fully reflective of a post-colonial society, with Africa finally represented on the Security Council.

On continental migration governance, following a decision by the 49th Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Executive Council not to discuss migration at the upcoming AU mid-term review meeting, South Africa reaffirmed its support for the long-standing AU decision to convene a continent-wide conference on migration. The 25th AU Assembly, held in Johannesburg in 2015, called for an African migration conference to consider approaches to accelerate mobility and development within the continent while addressing challenges posed by increased irregular migration.

The government holds that a continent-wide convening on migration must take a holistic view, considering migration’s relationship with peace and stability, economic development, regional integration and democratic governance. It must also provide space for Member States to discuss the root causes of anti-migrant sentiment and develop a collective continental approach to preventing violence, discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. Research indicates that almost six in 10 Africans aged between 18 and 25 have considered emigrating, primarily in search of better opportunities. African migration remains largely intracontinental, with approximately 45 percent of all international migrants originating from Africa residing outside their home countries, and over 50 percent of that group moving within the African continent itself. Key destination nations such as South Africa, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire receive the vast majority of these intra-African migrants.

South Africa serves as Chair of the Committee of Five on South Sudan and as Chair of the Ministerial Follow-Up Committee on the implementation of Agenda 2063. During its Chairship, South Africa has noted a growing continental commitment to strengthening accountability, accelerating implementation and mobilising sustainable financing for Africa’s transformation agenda. The Chairship has considered and recommended a feasibility study for the establishment of the AU Agenda 2063 Development Fund, which must complement existing African financing institutions, avoid duplication of mandates and establish clear governance and accountability structures. With regard to upcoming elections in South Sudan, South Africa encourages the international community to assist South Sudan in reaching the milestone of an election that is inclusive and realistically meets the requirements of the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

South Africa welcomes the decision to convene an Extraordinary Summit of the African Union on the strengthening of mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution in Africa from August 29 to 30 in Luanda, Angola. The conflict in Sudan, the government stated, has become more than a humanitarian catastrophe and represents one of the biggest moral failures in our lifetime. South Africa will use this platform as a critical opportunity to mobilise the continent towards a structured intervention.

On the multilateral economic front, South Africa will participate in the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, under the theme: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security. The 2026 Summit is expected to focus on maintaining unity within an expanded and more diverse membership while advancing cooperation on global governance reforms, economic development and the interests of the Global South. South Africa will advance economic diplomacy objectives through the BRICS Business Forum scheduled for September 11, 2026, engaging on issues such as trade and supply chains, agriculture, women-led development, the digital economy and innovation. The South African Chapter of the BRICS Business Council will actively participate in the Business Forum.

The government continues to call for the urgent cessation of the conflicts in Russia and Ukraine as well as in Iran to prevent further loss of life and destruction of infrastructure. South Africa remains firmly committed to a peaceful and negotiated resolution within a rules-based system centred on international law, including respect for human rights and the principles of the UN Charter. Whether the institutions convening in Luanda in late August can translate that commitment into structured continental action remains the defining accountability question of the months ahead.