Source: COMESA summit preps underway – herald
Debra Matabvu
Senior Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Heads of State and Government Summit, scheduled for October, are underway, with authorities currently identifying and assessing key infrastructure to be used for the high-level event.
Zimbabwe is currently serving as COMESA Vice Chair and is scheduled to ascend to the chairmanship of the organisation from 2026 to 2027.
This leadership transition follows the 24th COMESA Summit, which was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2025. At that summit, Kenya assumed the rotating chairmanship from Burundi, and Zimbabwe took over as vice chair, a role that positions it to lead the bloc in the subsequent term.
In an interview yesterday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said Zimbabwe will utilise infrastructure constructed and upgraded for the 2024 SADC Summit to host the COMESA meeting.
Prof Murwira added that further improvements and upgrades will be undertaken on facilities such as hotels, conference centres and access roads to accommodate the expected increase in delegates.
The COMESA chairmanship follows President Mnangagwa’s recent tenure as Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), underscoring Zimbabwe’s commitment to Pan-African institutions and its active role in advancing regional integration and development.
COMESA was established 30 years ago and is a regional economic community dedicated to promoting free trade, economic cooperation and sustainable development among its 21 member states.
Prof Murwira said preparations for the summit had begun in earnest and Zimbabwe will advocate for regional and pan-African integration during its tenure to further the agenda.
“We are very well prepared because we are just coming out from hosting SADC, the infrastructure that we prepared during SADC is the same that we are going to use during COMESA, with a lot of improvements and lessons learnt when it comes to hosting such high-level events.
“Zimbabwe is prepared to lead COMESA. President Mnangagwa will become the Chair of COMESA; meanwhile, he is the Vice or the incoming chair of COMESA. It is the largest trading bloc in Africa with over 800 million people, which is over half of Africa’s population, which is 1,4 billion.”
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe will leverage on the setting up of the Intra-frican Trade Free Company that is establishing its headquarters in Harare, as well as the completion of the Harare Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre (HAATC) this year.
“Zimbabwe is committed to Pan-Africanism, integration of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he added.
“We also won the bid to host the Inter- African Trade Fair Company, which is an implementing agency of the Africa Free Trade Area and we have already done the legal framework for it.
“Therefore, our aim as Zimbabwe through His Excellency President Mnangagwa, is to deepen regional integration, deepen integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
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