SADC Lawyers Association Marks 25 Years with a Landmark Conference in Maputo
The SADC Lawyers Association (SADC-LA) has successfully concluded its 25th Annual Conference, held on 2–3 July 2026 in Maputo, Mozambique, fittingly returning to the city of its founding in 1999. Hosted jointly with the Ordem dos Advogados de Moçambique (OAM) at the Centro Cultural Moçambique – China, the conference brought together legal practitioners, policymakers, regulators and industry leaders from across SADC-LA’s fifteen member law societies and bar associations for two days of high-level dialogue and professional exchange.
The programme opened with addresses from the leadership of SADC-LA, the OAM and the IBA, followed by keynote remarks including Esselina Macome. Finally, the Conference was graced with a live video stream by his excellency Mr Daniel Chapo, the President of the Republic of Mozambique.
Over two days, delegates worked through six thematic areas and a dedicated Forum for Women and Young Lawyers, moving from land, water and agricultural finance, to energy security and regional interconnection, to investment certainty, industrialisation, local content and cross-border dispute resolution — united by a common thread: that sound governance, enforceable contracts, accessible dispute resolution and harmonised regulation are what allow industrialisation, the energy transition and agricultural transformation to reinforce one another as a single path to regional resilience.
“Fostering a Resilient SADC through the Law: Facilitating Industrialisation, Energy Transition and Agricultural Transformation”
Conference Theme
New Executive Committee Elected for 2026–2028
The conference was preceded by SADC-LA’s Annual General Meeting, at which the membership elected a new Executive Committee to lead the Association for the 2026–2028 term. Delegates elected a President, Vice President, Treasurer and two Executive Committee Members, who will guide the Association’s strategic direction over the next two years. SADC-LA congratulates the newly elected officials:
President | Noxolo Maduba-Silevu |
Vice President | Lintle Tuke |
Treasurer | Lovisa Naambo Ihalwa |
Executive Committee Member | Lison Ncube |
Executive Committee Member | Misozi Hope Masengu |
Looking Forward to Building on the Momentum of the Conference
SADC-LA extends its sincere gratitude to the OAM for its hospitality as host bar association, to all sponsors and partners who made the conference possible, and to the speakers, moderators, rapporteurs and delegates whose contributions ensured two productive days of debate. Particular thanks go to the outgoing Executive Committee for its dedicated service, and a warm welcome is extended to the incoming Committee.
As it marks 25 years of service to the legal profession and the rule of law in the region, SADC-LA looks forward to building on the momentum of this conference, and to working with its new leadership and its members across the region to advance the goals set out in the Maputo Declaration in the years ahead.