Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa participates in SADC Meeting on Advancing Regional Disaster Preparedness

On 12-13 May 2025, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held a virtual Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Disaster Risk Management. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Daniel Garwe, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Ms. Angéle Makombo N’Tumba, Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration at SADC Secretariat, delivered opening remarks. The gathering brought together Ministers from various member states, and they deliberated on two critical agenda items to be submitted to the SADC Council of Ministers:

• The full operationalisation of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC)
• The establishment and deployment of the SADC Emergency Response Team (ERT)

Key outcomes included the endorsement of the inaugural SHOC Governing Board, with a directive for the Secretariat to convene its first meeting to finalise the centre’s staffing structure and budget. Ministers also recommended the extension of SHOC’s interim staff contracts until March 2026, with funding provided through the 2022 approved interim operational budget. In addition, the Committee endorsed a technically diverse and regionally representative Emergency Response Team and called for continued collaboration between Member States, the Secretariat, and SHOC to provide training for rapid regional deployment.

South Africa was represented by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr. Velenkosini Hlabisa, who actively participated in the deliberations. In his address, Minister Hlabisa stressed the importance of coordinated and inclusive disaster risk management, stating:
“Disaster Risk Reduction is not a sectoral issue but it is rather a global imperative that requires multistakeholder engagement, political will, and unwavering commitment.”

He also highlighted the significance of the upcoming G20 Summit being hosted on African soil, describing it as a symbol of the continent’s rising global relevance. Furthermore, he reaffirmed support for the African Union Presidency’s theme—“Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability”—as a guiding framework for regional and international cooperation.

The meeting reaffirmed SADC’s collective commitment to strengthening disaster preparedness and enhancing the region’s capacity for coordinated emergency response.

Enquiries:
Ms. Pearl Maseko-Binqose
Media Liaison Officer for the Minister of COGTA
Cell: +27 (82) 772 1709

Mr. Legadima Leso
COGTA Head of Communications
Cell: +27 (66) 479 9904

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