Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Kudakwashe Mugari in LUANDA, Angola
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived here last night to attend the 43rd Ordinary Sadc Summit of Heads of State and Government slated for today.
The Summit will convene under the theme: “Human and financial capital: The key drivers for sustainable industrialisation of the Sadc Region”.
The theme seeks to address two of the most critical enablers in supporting regional industrialisation: adequate human resources in terms of numbers and technical capacity within the context of climate change and the 4th Industrial Revolution and adequate financial resources to ensure more sustainable funding mechanisms.
Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the Sadc theme was all about Zimbabwe and the Second Republic’s policies.
“The theme resonates well with the emphasis of the Second Republic on fit for purpose human capital development through heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy developed and adopted by the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa. Human and Financial Capital are key pillars for industrialisation and modernisation,” Minister Murwira said.
Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza, who has been here as part of Sadc ministerial engagements, said the issue of industrialisation and value addition was critical for Sadc as a region.
“This summit is pivotal for the process of economic development for Zimbabwe. We have been dealing with critical issues of industrialisation in our region and also providing feedback of what was achieved in the past year,” said Minister Nzenza
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary, Ambassador James Manzou, said the summit theme was in sync with the Second Republic’s policies.
“This is a very important summit.”
“As you know the theme and the strategy on industrialisation was adopted in 2014 when Zimbabwe was chairing Sadc and that theme led to the development of a strategic plan which is a plan that we are following.
“If you look at themes that have been adopted by Sadc since then, they always focus on industrialisation because it’s the Heads of State and Government that decide for the region to move forward and the key pillar is industrialisation,” he said.
“We have been talking about the implementation of this key pillar but the theme that Angola has chosen is very important to Zimbabwe, you know very well we value the development of human capital.
“You know very well Zimbabweans in general are very skilled .That’s why Zimbabweans across the region are in demand but also back home the focus of Government is in ensuring that we develop relevant skills for industrialisation and other sectors and this is why in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education for example, innovation is a key pillar so that resonates with us here.
“Of course the financial capital talks to the need for mobilisation of resources for us to be able to advance ourselves in terms of industrialisation and in this area, one important issue we talked about during the meetings since Monday was the need for the establishment of a regional fund. A fund that will be used to fund infrastructure and industrialisation projects across the region. That’s the major thing for the summit.”
Ambassador Manzou said Heads of State and Government decided in July to extend the mandate of SAMIM from 2023 to July 2024.
“We have been talking during this ministerial meeting about what is needed to keep SAMIM in Mozambique for the next year and member States as usual will be required to make additional contributions.
“There is also the issue of SAMIM in the DRC which Heads of State and Government will be seized with. We discussed the budget for that deployment.”
Ambassador Manzou said the issue of Zimbabwe’s security candidature was a critical matter that will be also discussed.
President Mangangwa has submitted Zimbabwe’s candidature for the UN Security Council permanent seat for the period 2027 to 2028.
“It is at this Summit that through our presentations that we will get the regional endorsements that will enable us to approach other bodies, for example the African Union and beyond, in terms of seeking support for Zimbabwe,” Ambassador Manzou said.
Yesterday, Namibian President Hage Geingob, as the chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, chaired the organ’s summit.
Today, he is expected to submit the Organ report to other Heads of State and hand over the Chair of the Organ Troika to the incoming chair, President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa and his delegation were received in Luanda by Mr Tete Antonio, the Angolan Minister of External Relations.
COMMENTS