His Excellency President Jacob Zuma has arrived in Maputo, Republic of Mozambique, where he is leading a South African delegation to the annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit, scheduled for 17 to 18 August 2012.

The SADC Summit is a statutory meeting of the 15-nation regional body which convenes annually in August. The meeting considers matters from different sectors for decision and for noting. The summit also examines the performance of SADC institutions and reviews the overall implementation of the regional body's socio-economic programmes.

This is the first time that Heads of State and Government of the SADC region meet since the election of Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Dr Dlamini Zuma was nominated by the SADC to serve as the first Southern African and the first woman to lead the AU Commission.

At the summit, South Africa is expected to report on its Chairpersonship of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and the challenges ahead. The United Republic of Tanzania will assume the chairpersonship of the organ at this summit.

SADC continues to serve as the primary vehicle for South African foreign policy to achieve regional development and integration within Southern Africa. South Africa’s future remains inextricably linked to the future of the African continent and that of its neighbours in Southern Africa.

In addition to South Africa, other member states of the SADC are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Madagascar is currently suspended pending the restoration of constitutional and democratic order in that country.