The founding Member States are: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

SADCC was formed in Lusaka, Zambia on 1 April, 1980, following the adoption of the Lusaka Declaration - Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation.

The transformation of the organisation from a Coordination Conference into a Development Community (SADC) took place on 17 August, 1992, in Windhoek, Namibia when the Declaration and Treaty was signed at the Summit of Heads of State and Government thereby giving the organisation a legal character.

The Member States are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

SADC headquarters are in Gaborone, Botswana.

The SADC Vision  
The SADC vision is one of a common future, a future within a regional community that will ensure economic well-being, improvement of the standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social justice and peace and security for the peoples of Southern Africa. This shared vision is anchored on the common values and principles and the historical and cultural affinities that exist between the peoples of Southern Africa.

Chairpersonship
SADC Chairperson
His Excellency Mr. Levy P. Mwanawasa
President of the Republic of Zambia

Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security
His Excellency Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
President of the United Republic of Tanzania

Deputy Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security
His Excellency Mr. José dos Santos
President of the Republic of Angola

Chairperson of Council of Ministers
Honourable Dr. T. Thahane
Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kingdom of Lesotho

Deputy Chairperson of Council of Ministers
Honourable Mundiya Sikatana
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Zambia

Secretariat Management
Executive Secretary
Dr. Tomáz Augusto Salomão

Deputy Executive Secretary
Engineer João Samuel Caholo

Private Bag 0095, Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: (+267) 395 1863, Fax: (+267) 397 2848 / 318 1070
E-mail: registry@sadc.int, Website: www.sadc.int

Restructuring of SADC Institutions
The SADC Heads of State and Government convened an Extra-Ordinary Summit on 9 March, 2001, in Windhoek, Namibia, at which they approved a Report on the Restructuring of SADC Institutions, which spells out enhanced objectives and a Common Agenda for SADC based on the objectives as outlined in Article 5 of the 1992 SADC Treaty.

The Report on the Restructuring of SADC Institutions articulates a more explicit Common Agenda which takes into account a number of principles such as development orientation; subsidiarity; market integration and development; facilitation and promotion of trade and investment; and variable geometry.

Based on the above principles, SADC’s Common Agenda includes:
•     the promotion of sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development that will ensure poverty alleviation with the ultimate objective of its eradication;
•     the promotion of common political values, systems and other shared values which are transmitted through institutions which are democratic, legitimate and effective; and
•     the consolidation and maintenance of democracy, peace and security.

In contrast to the country-based coordination of sectoral activities and programmes, SADC has now adopted a more centralised approach through which the 21 Coordinating Units have been grouped into four clusters, namely: Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment; Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources; Infrastructure and Services; and Social and Human Development and Special Programmes.

Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP)
In order to provide strategic direction to the organisation and to operationalise the SADC Common Agenda, a Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) is in place.

The RISDP is a 15-year plan being implemented in phases of five years each. In 2007, the RISDP entered its third year of implementation.

It reaffirms the commitment of SADC Member States to good political, economic and corporate governance entrenched in a culture of democracy, full participation by civil society, transparency and respect for the rule of law. In this context, the African Union’s NEPAD Programme is embraced as a credible and relevant continental framework, and the RISDP as SADC’s regional expression and vehicle for achieving the ideals contained therein. The RISDP emphasises that good political, economic and corporate governance are prerequisites for sustainable socio-economic development, and that SADC’s quest for poverty eradication and deeper levels of integration will not be realised if these are not in place.

The RISDP is indicative in nature, merely outlining the necessary conditions that should be realised towards achieving those goals. In order to facilitate monitoring and measurement of progress, it sets targets and timeframes for goals in the various fields of cooperation.

The purpose of the RISDP is to deepen regional integration in SADC. It provides SADC Member States with a consistent and comprehensive programme of long-term economic and social policies. It also provides the Secretariat and other SADC institutions with a clear view of SADC’s approved economic and social policies and priorities.

Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO)
SIPO provides guidelines for the implementation of the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. Apart from spelling out specific activities, in accordance with the Protocol’s objectives, and the strategies for their realisation, SIPO also provides the institutional framework for the day-to-day implementation of the Organ’s objectives.

SIPO is divided into four main sectors, namely, Political, Defence, State Security, and Public Security. It provides the analysis and challenges of the four sectors, the objectives of the Organ on the four sectors as well as the strategies and specific activities to be implemented in order to realise the objectives of the Organ.

New Institutions
Integrated Committee of Ministers (ICM)
The ICM ensures policy guidance, coordination and harmonisation of cross-sectoral activities. The ICM comprises of at least two Ministers from each Member State.

SADC National Committees
These Committees have been established in each SADC Member State and their main function is to provide inputs at the national level in the formulation of regional policies, strategies, the SADC Programme of Action (SPA) as well as to coordinate and oversee the implementation of these programmes at the national level.