Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Professor Amon Murwira 
Wallace Ruzvidzo, Herald Reporter
THE forthcoming SADC Council of Ministers which commences in Harare tomorrow will focus primarily on the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira has said.
The RISDP 2020–2030 outlines six strategic priority areas, including Peace, Security and Good Governance; Industrial Development and Market Integration, Infrastructure Development, Social and Human Capital Development; and Cross-cutting issues including Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management.
Minister Murwira, who will preside over the meeting as the Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, yesterday told The Herald that preparations for the gathering were going on “superbly”.
“Preparations for the SADC Council of Ministers are going on superbly…they are going very well.
“During the meeting (which commences on Wednesday) we are going to discuss the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030,” he said.
According to the programme, SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi will make the welcome remarks tomorrow, followed by Prof Murwira.
During the two-day meeting, the Ministers will also focus on the theme of the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government: “Promoting innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an industrialised SADC”.
That summit was held in Harare in August last year and saw President Mnangagwa taking over as SADC Chairperson.
On Sunday, Mr Magosi, who is already in the country, met with the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Sub-Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa Dr Patrice Talla and discussed issues around regional food security.
“The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), H.E Elias M. Magosi today (Sunday) 09 March 2025 met with the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Sub-Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Dr Patrice Talla.
“The Courtesy visit took place in Harare, Zimbabwe at the margins of the SADC Ordinary Council of Ministers Meeting to take place from 12-13 March 2025”.
Mr Magosi expressed gratitude to the FAO for the technical and financial support provided to the Region and to individual Member States to progress with the implementation of the SADC RISDP 2020-2030, in the area of Agriculture and Food Security; Blue Economy, Fisheries and Aquaculture; Natural Resource Management; and Environment and Climate Change.
The Executive Secretary also underscored the willingness of the SADC Secretariat to continue working closely with FAO to fully implement RISDP 2020-2030 in those sectors.
“The SADC Secretariat and FAO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 18th September 2020.
“The MoU aims to promote co-operation mainly in the areas of food security and agriculture, including livestock and crops; natural resources, including fisheries/aquaculture and forestry; environment and climate change; and animal and plant genetic resources conservation,” said the SADC Secretariat.
On his part, Dr Talla emphasised the need to review the current MoU 2020-2025 and develop and sign a new MoU for the period 2025–2030 to progress with the joint implementation of the RISDP 2020-2030, as well as the Kampala Declaration, approved in January 2025.
On Friday, there will be a closing ceremony where Prof Murwira is expected to make the concluding remarks.
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