Written by: Badr Ahmed

The meeting of senior officials of the Committee of Ministers of Justice and Public Prosecutors of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was launched in Victoria Falls, during the period from the first to the fourth of June 2026, with the participation of representatives of the member states of the regional organization.

The technical meeting is being held at the Elephant Hills Resort, where senior officials are discussing a range of legal and institutional issues of interest to the countries of the region, as part of efforts to promote regional integration and develop common legal frameworks among member states.

Senior justice officials meeting kicks off in Victoria Falls

The meeting aims to review and adopt a number of documents and proposals related to regional legislation, governance mechanisms and legal cooperation, in preparation for submitting them to the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Justice and Public Prosecutors scheduled to be held on June 5.

The meeting of ministers is expected to be an important milestone in providing strategic guidance and legal oversight of regional cooperation pathways, contributing to strengthening coordination among member states and unifying laws and legislation in areas of common interest.

The meeting of senior officials is chaired by lawyer Kalayvani Pillai, who serves as Acting Director-General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in South Africa.

The meeting is being held as South Africa assumes the interim presidency of the SADC, while Zimbabwe is hosting the meeting as the outgoing president of the organization, and Zambia will assume the position of the next interim president of the regional grouping.

SADC is one of the most prominent regional blocs in Africa, comprising several Southern African countries and striving to enhance economic, political, and legal integration among its members. This meeting comes at a time when there is a growing need to coordinate legal positions and develop institutional frameworks to address shared challenges, including issues of governance, the rule of law, and cross-border cooperation.

The Victoria Falls meeting reflects the commitment of the SADC countries to continue working together to promote institutional stability and develop a more harmonious legal environment, in support of the goals of development and regional integration in southern Africa.