At the recent SADC Summit in eThekwini,on the 17th of August 2026,President Cyril Ramaphosa argued that African countries should: Integrate their economies trade more with one another and reduce dependence on markets outside Africa. Build regional infrastructure together, especially roads, rail, ports and energy networks. Improve electricity access across Southern Africa, with a regional target of reaching at least 85% electricity access by 2030. Industrialise and beneficiate Africa’s natural resources instead of simply exporting raw minerals and importing finished products. Strengthen intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Work collectively on food security, agriculture, health and pandemic preparedness. Treat regional integration as a practical economic strategy, not just a political slogan. He has also recently spoken at the Pan-African Parliament, stressing that Africa’s future should be shaped by Africans themselves and that the continent’s 1.5 billion people have a shared interest in peace, progress and prosperity. In fact, there was a significant handover moment: Mnangagwa handed the SADC chairmanship over to Cyril Ramaphosa, who became chair for the 2026/27 term. Also, the summit’s communiqué specifically backed Zimbabwe’s position on removing sanctions, saying the sanctions continue to constrain Zimbabwe’s economic potential.(The presidency,The Citizen.co.za,The Gurdian,Nyasa times,SADC) Let’s talk about African leaders who advocated continental unity and independence, But a substantial number of major African liberation and Pan African figures were assassinated, overthrown, imprisoned, or targeted. for a combination of reasons independence, anti-colonialism, control of natural resources, opposition to foreign influence, socialism, national sovereignty, or Pan-African unity. these figures are in no particularly important group: Patrice Lumumba 🇨🇩 Sylvanus Olympio 🇹🇬 Félix-Roland Moumié 🇨🇲 Mehdi Ben Barka🇲🇦 Eduardo Mondlane 🇲🇿 Samora Machel 🇲🇿 Kwame Nkrumah 🇬🇭 Patrice Lumumba 🇨🇩 Amílcar Cabral 🇬🇼 Thomas Sankara 🇧🇫 Muammar Gaddafi 🇱🇾 #southafricatiktok🇿🇦 #panafricanism #decolonization #UnitedAfrica - @thobzaah