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Friday, 4th July, 2025

KOBWA Joins Water and Energy Ministers meeting In Zimbabwe

Left - right: KOBWA CEO, Mr. Trevor Shongwe and Board Chairperson, Mr. Archinton Thobejane following proceedings of the meeting.

The Chief Executive Officer Mr. Trevor Shongwe and the Chairperson of the Board Mr. Archinton Thobejane attended a joint Water and Energy Ministers meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Harare, Zimbabwe which was advancing initiatives of Water and Energy in the Region. KOBWA participated as a Transboundary River Basin Organisation between the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Eswatini and aimed to use the platform to advance KOBWA initiatives and align her processes with the Regional and International programs which are a subject of discussion in the meeting.

Of paramount importance was the tracking of regional programs in the different Member States and in the different Regional River Basin Organisations to which KOBWA aligns and benchmark her programs. In this meeting Ministers considered 35 decisions in the two sectors aimed at advancing developments in the Energy and Water Sectors inclusive of issues of capacity building through the approved SADC subsidiary training institutions.

SADC Cluster Meeting of Ministers responsible for Energy and Water

In the Energy sector the Honourable Ministers considered 14 decision points while in the water sector the Honourable Ministers considered 21 decisions.

Key strategic decisions from the Energy Sector were on the following:

• The rollout of strategic Hydropower projects within the different Member States inclusive of the Maguga Dam Hydropower project extension project.

Left - right: KOBWA Board Chairperson, Mr. Archinton Thobejane and CEO, Mr. Trevor Shongwe attended the Cluster Meeting of Ministers responsible for Energy and Water held in Zimbabwe.

• Requested Member States to complete internal consultations for the review of the SADC Energy Protocol.

Key strategic decisions from the Water Ministers meeting were as follows:

• The Water Ministers approved the Revised SADC Water Policy, 2025 which provides a guide on how water resources and development initiatives are to be undertaken.
• The Water Ministers also approved the request for the no cost extension of the Regional Groundwater program for an additional 18 months from November 2025.
• Water Ministers also approved the resource mobilisation from the Global Climate Fund (GCF) for the SADC Hydropower project to improve the joint monitoring of river flows within the Member States.
• Ministers also approved initiatives and programs aimed at establishing and strengthening Secretariats of the newly established River Basin Organisations.
• The Ministers also approved the establishment of the Southern African Chapter of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network through support from Orange Senqu River Water Commission (ORASECOM).

Left - right: KOBWA CEO, Mr. Trevor Shongwe and Board Chairperson, Mr. Archinton Thobejane following proceedings of the meeting.

The meeting of Minister was preceded by a Senior Officials meeting which started on the 30th of June 2025 to 3rd of July 2025 with the Ministers meeting being held on the 4th of July 2025. Ministers in attendance in the meeting were from the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.