CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – His Majesty King Mswati III has issued a powerful call for a unified and deliberate joint approach to the future of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
In his statement to the 9th Summit of SACU Heads of State or Government, the Monarch emphasised that deeper regional integration is no longer merely an aspiration but a strategic economic necessity to cushion member states against severe global instabilities.
The high-level summit, held under the chairmanship of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, brought together regional leaders including Botswana’s President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, Namibia’s President Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and Lesotho’s Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane.
Addressing the assembly, His Majesty noted that since the last summit hosted by Eswatini in June 2023, the global economic landscape has deteriorated significantly. He pointed to heightened geopolitical competition, rising protectionism, international supply chain disruptions and the increasing use of unilateral trade measures that leave SACU nations highly vulnerable to escalating energy, transport, and production costs.
“These developments remind us that regional integration is no longer simply an aspiration. It is an economic necessity and a strategic instrument for protecting our countries from external shocks,” the King declared. “Our collective response must be deliberate, practical and focused on building productive capacity within our own region.”
The King firmly advocated for policy coherence and collective engagement when dealing with international trading partners, warning that fragmented or separate negotiations by individual member states risk compromising the integrity of the common external tariff and diminishing the bloc’s overall negotiating leverage.
The Summit also marked a proud milestone for the Kingdom of Eswatini, as His Majesty extended his warmest congratulations to Mr Dumisani Masilela on his appointment as the Executive Secretary of SACU. Masilela is the first Eswatini citizen to substantively assume this distinguished role in the history of the world’s oldest functioning customs union.
His Majesty expressed profound gratitude to the member states for their collective trust, stating that this appointment reflects a shared commitment to capable leadership and the advancement of the union’s developmental agenda.
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