All Set for SADC Extraordinary Summit...Bloc's Industrialization On Agenda

19 November 2024

The Herald (Harare)

By Joseph Madzimure Senior Reporter

President Mnangagwa will tomorrow chair the SADC Extraordinary Summit that will look into regional peace and also discuss the bloc's industrialisation agenda.

Yesterday, SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi paid a courtesy call on the President at State House in Harare where he briefed him on preparations for the summit, which began on Sunday and will culminate in the meeting of the region's Heads of State and Government tomorrow.

In an interview, Mr Magosi said everything was in place for the successful hosting of the Summit.

"Preparations are going on very well, the committees are meeting and the documents are being prepared accordingly. These are our normal meetings," he said.

Mr Magosi said the Organ on Politics Defence and Security (Organ Troika) committee is the one that prepares the agenda of peace and security for the main summit.

"There are meetings before that, the ministerial committee of the organ which prepares the agenda for peace and security and then the Council of Ministers that is meeting this afternoon, (yesterday) chaired by Honourable Minister (of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira), looks at the matters of finance and matters of policy. Those are all leading to the summit of Heads of States, so the preparations are going on very well," he said.

Turning to the agenda of his meeting with President Mnangagwa, Mr Magosi said besides discussing preparations for the summit, they also deliberated on the President's expected visit to the SADC headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana.

"We discussed issues related to the main summit itself, what would be covered and that he would be chairing the Extraordinary Summit. These are a few items we discussed.

"As the SADC chair, President Mnangagwa is supposed to visit the SADC secretariat in Botswana, so we are working on the dates so that he can come. When the dates are in place, he will be coming to Botswana to appreciate the work of SADC," he said.

Apart from that, Mr Magosi said they also discussed the role that Zimbabwe can play in the region's industrialisation agenda.

"We do recognise what Zimbabwe is doing in the industrialisation process, really making sure that a lot of things are happening in the country. They are developing products and goods and not shipping them in raw form. Zimbabwe is a good example, so we wanted him to actually lead his colleagues to make sure that they also come here to learn and benefit from that".

Also on the table was the issue of the regional development fund, focusing on the ratification of relevant instruments so that it can be operationalised.

On his part, Prof Murwira, who accompanied Mr Magosi to meet the President, said everything is in place for the Heads of State and Government Extraordinary Summit.

"We are very pleased with how the preparations are going on, we are working with the Secretariat, everything is in order, and we are looking forward to a successful Summit," said Prof Murwira.

Among other issues, the Summit will focus on emerging issues of regional significance including the recent elections in Mozambique, Botswana and upcoming polls in Namibia.

Namibians vote on November 27.

Read the original article on The Herald