The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), His Excellency Mr Elias M. Magosi paid a courtesy call on the Incoming Chairperson of SADC His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, on 22nd May 2024, as Zimbabwe prepares to assume the rotational Chairship of SADC at the 44th Summit of Heads of State and Government.
H.E. Dr. Mnangagwa will take over from the current SADC Chairperson, His Excellency, President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of the Republic of Angola at the 44th SADC Summit to be hosted by the Republic of Zimbabwe in August 2024. The SADC Chairperson oversees the highest level of the governance structure of SADC, and among others, has the overall mandate of providing policy direction, and controlling the functions of SADC.
President Dr. Mnangagwa welcomed the SADC Executive Secretary and his delegation to the State House and highlighted that the Government of Zimbabwe remained committed to the SADC principles and foundation of fostering peace and security for the region to achieve regional integration and sustainable socio-economic development.
The Incoming SADC Chair said that preparations for the 44th SADC Summit and preceding meetings and side events were on course and that he was looking forward to hosting a successful SADC Summit and steering the regional block to advance implementation of SADC regional integration and development programmes.
On his part, the SADC Executive Secretary briefed the Incoming SADC Chair on a wide range of issues aimed at facilitating Zimbabwe’s Chairship of SADC, which included highlights of Zimbabwe’s responsibilities in hosting SADC meetings, the key legal frameworks governing SADC operations and the SADC institutional arrangements as spelt out in the SADC Treaty.
H.E. Magosi also briefed the Incoming SADC Chair on the operations of the Secretariat and the status of implementation of regional programmes as articulated in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2020-2030); shared his ideas to expedite progress on regional integration, industrialisation, and sought guidance.
H.E Magosi later, presented the Annual Report of the Executive Secretary of SADC covering the period, 2022 to 2023 to President Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Dr. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, the Ambassador of Republic of Zimbabwe to Botswana His Excellency, Batiraishe Henry Mukonoweshuro, and the SADC National Contact Point for the Republic of Zimbabwe, Ms Petronellar Nyagura.
While in Zimbabwe, the SADC Executive Secretary also paid courtesy calls on the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, General (Retired) Dr. Constantino Chiwenga who is the Chairperson for the national interministerial preparatory Committee for 44th SADC Summit, and the Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Ranganai Chimbindi.
The SADC Executive Secretary visited the SADC Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) where he held consultations with the Commandant Rear Admiral Gottlieb Pandeni, the Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited, an innovative hub offering long-term and sustainable environmental solutions through innovative technology of waste-to-energy plants, and the Museum of African Liberation, which is a collaborative project between the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe-based Pan-African organisation, the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK).
The SADC Executive Secretary was accompanied by Directors for Policy Planning and Resource Mobilisation, Dr. Mubita Luwabelwa, Mr Sadwick Mtonakutha for Finance, Investment and Customs, and the Head of Communications and Public Relations Ms Barbara Lopi.
