Picture a coup leader in full military uniform, seated across from regional heads of state in a formal diplomatic setting, not condemned from a distance, but engaged as a legitimate interlocutor. That image, from the aftermath of Madagascar’s 2025 military takeover, marks how far southern Africa has travelled from the principles it once defended with conviction. The 2025 coup was not an isolated event. It is the latest episode in a discernible pattern of the gradual weakening of regional norms against unconstitutional changes of government. The contrast between Madagascar in 2009, Zimbabwe in 2017, and Madagascar again in 2025 makes…
Craig Moffat
Craig Moffat
Dr Craig Moffat served as an analyst at the SADC Early Warning Centre during his tenure with the South African Foreign Service. He was also a Senior Research Fellow in the Research Group on Peace, Conflict, and Development at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. Prior to that, he was the Head of the Programme for Governance Delivery and Impact at Good Governance Africa. Dr Moffat holds a PhD in Political Science from Stellenbosch University.
When I stood among colleagues and heads of state at the official launch of the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Regional Early Warning Centre (REWC) in 2010, in Gaborone, Botswana, I felt both pride and apprehension. Pride because this marked a decisive shift in how our region approached peace and security responses by no longer just reacting to crises but instead actively anticipating them. I felt apprehensive because an initiative of this kind had never been attempted before, and we knew it would face considerable political, logistical, and technical obstacles. It’s been 15 years since the centre was launched, and…
By Dr Craig Moffat and Dr Mokete wa Mokete Eswatini holds its 2023 general elections on 29 September. Unlike in other elections in different political settings, this vote is unlikely to drastically change the political landscape in the country that has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa, where Mswati wields absolute power, political parties are banned, and lawmakers contradicting the king are side-lined. As the country gears up for election day, one must ask if these elections are worth contesting or if it is simply a political ploy for Mswati…
