MR CHAIRMAN, SIR!

Victoria Ruzvidzo

Editor

The moment has come!

President Mnangagwa will today assume the Sadc Chairmanship, taking over from Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, who has been at the helm of the regional body for the past year.

He was deputised by President Mnangagwa, who will now be at the apex for the next one year. 

The chairmanship is rotational annually.

The occasion is the 44th Sadc Heads of State and Government Summit which begins today, with the major highlight being the assumption of the key role by President Mnangagwa early into today’s deliberations.

This is seen as a huge endorsement of President Mnangagwa’s leadership qualities that have ushered in massive transformation to Zimbabwe’s infrastructure, improved economic policies and the peace and stability that has ensured progress over the last few years.

Vision 2030 that he is spearheading, with the ultimate objective of achieving an Upper Middle Income Economy by then, is seen as dovetailing with Sadc’s ambition of ensuring better lives for its citizenry, anchored on industrialisation, innovation, agriculture, renewable energy and value addition of its primary products, among other such strategies.

Deliberations today are largely expected to take stock of developments of the past year and map the socio-economic, political and other issues pertaining to southern Africa’s welfare. 

Today’s itinerary will see an opening ceremony and two closed-door sessions by the 16 heads of State or their representatives.

By last night, at least eight presidents had jetted into the country while a few others who include South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, president Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana and Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi are expected this morning, in time for the opening ceremony.

Zimbabwe last chaired the regional bloc in 2014 when the summit was held in Victoria Falls.

The hosting of the 44th Summit coincides with this  year’s celebrations of Zimbabwe’s 44th Independence anniversary.

The two-day Heads of State and Government Summit was preceded by the industrialisation Week, the Senior officials meeting, the Council of Ministers meeting and the Sadc Troika gathering held yesterday.

President Mnangagwa has said his priorities as Chairman would be regional food security through the adoption of smart agricultural production methods, industrialisation, trade, and the extraction of vast mineral resources in this region that should be valued added to bring more benefits to the people, among other programmes and projects. 

He has emphasised that peace and unity would be critical to foster development.

Delivering the 7th Sadc Public Lecture at the University of Zimbabwe on Thursday, President Mnangagwa said the regional grouping had the wherewithal to become more prosperous.

“Our SADC bloc has to position itself strategically to convert the realities of both domestic and global events into economic and business opportunities that lift our people to greater prosperity. 

“We have a duty to boldly and proactively address enclaves of disproportionate socio-economic development. The region should never play second fiddle in the arena of international economic relations. 

“Leveraging on our combined resource endowments and human capacities, the region must emerge as a competitive economic bloc with the requisite capabilities to produce a wide array of goods and services. As SADC member states, we have all it takes to succeed. Esteemed Guests; in our quest to address the critical questions before us, it is critically important that we remain confident in our identity and capabilities,” he said.

The Sadc leaders are tomorrow expected to tour the Geo Pomona Waste Management Project and the Museum of African Liberation as they wind up their programme.