In their Friday, August 8 statement, the bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) reflected on the Church’s pastoral priorities and social challenges following their August 4–8 Plenary Session at Khanya House, Pretoria.

According to the statement issued at the end of the meeting, bishops from South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini discussed the renewal of Catholic higher education, strengthening diocesan synodal structures, lay formation, and financial sustainability within Church institutions. They also honoured the legacy of the late Bishop Fritz Lobinger for his promotion of lay leadership and community-based Church life.

The bishops approved the annual observance of the Feast of Creation in Christ, joining the African Church’s call for ecological conversion. They also welcomed Bishop Sithembele Sipuka’s appointment to the National Dialogue Eminent Persons Group and to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, as well as Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa CMM’s appointment to the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life.

The plenary further noted that the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) Golden Jubilee will be celebrated in the Diocese of Manzini, Eswatini, from September 24 to 29. A memorial lecture and portrait unveiling in honour of Bishop Pius Bonaventura Dlamini FFJ, South Africa’s first Black Catholic bishop, was also held during the week.

Finally, the bishops bid farewell to Monsignor Dario Paviša, acknowledging his diplomatic and pastoral service in the region. The next SACBC Plenary will take place in January 2026.