Johannesburg, April 24 (IANS) The South African region is facing direct consequences due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said on Friday.

The minister made these remarks in Pretoria during the Inter-Departmental Workshop on the RISDP 2020–2030 in the context of South Africa’s Chairship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“The ongoing conflict in the US-Israel war on Iran and Lebanon has already sent shockwaves through the global economy, with direct consequences for our region. Our societies are experiencing rising oil prices, higher fertiliser costs and cost-of-living challenges,” said Lamola.

The minister mentioned that these effects are compounded by unemployment, climate-related shocks, disrupted livelihoods, food insecurity, the burden of communicable diseases, and transboundary animal diseases.

He highlighted that these pressures come at a time when many countries in the region are already carrying a heavy debt burden.

Lamola stated that these are the conditions under which South Africa is assuming the SADC leadership, and these conditions must shape how they plan and how they prioritise and implement.

He also highlighted that growth has remained modest across the region and intra-regional trade is fluctuating between 19 and 23 per cent.

As he was ending the workshop, the South African minister raised two questions

“How do we build public confidence in regional integration in ways that counter those who thrive on narrow nationalism, misinformation and xenophobic sentiment?” and “how do we plan for South Africa’s Chairship in a global environment that is unstable, unpredictable and already placing additional pressure on our economies and our people?”

Lamola urged the participants to think about the questions from their special vantage point as public servants.

South Africa was appointed as the interim chair of SADC in November 2025 and is expected to assume the official chairship from August 2026 to August 2027.

–IANS

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