Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe will this week round up its highly successful tenure as SADC Chair, having recorded numerous milestones President Mnangagwa will pass on the baton to his Madagascan counterpart Andry Rajoelina at the 45th SADC Summit of Heads of State to be held in Madagascar on August 17 As Chair of the regional body, President Mnangagwa registered numerous milestones that have gained acclaim within the region and beyond The SADC Chair emphasised and championed regional integration, which saw increased collaboration between member states
President Mnangagwa co-chaired the historic Joint EAC–SADC Summit in Nairobi, aimed at coordinating efforts for the peace process in the DRC The summit approved the establishment of a unified regional peace framework overseen by African entities, marking an important milestone in regional diplomacy During his tenure, the SADC Chairman continued to call for the silencing of guns on the continent President Mnangagwa was officially handed over the SADC Secretariat Headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana on behalf of the region, following its full acquisition
Prior to its handover, the edifice was under management through a public-private-partnership agreement involving SADC, Bongwe Investments (Proprietary) Limited as the private party and the Botswana government as a guarantor to the arrangement In his capacity as Chairman of the SADC, the President also presided over the ground-breaking ceremony of the 19 hectare SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot which will be built in Rasesa, 40 kilometres north of Gaborone In the build-up to the 45th Summit of Heads of State, the Senior Officials and Experts Meeting on the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) was held recently, the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials Meeting was also held last week and the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting will be convened from Tuesday to Thursday this week The SADC–USA Dialogue Forum will be held on Wednesday, the SADC Public Lecture at the University of Antananarivo on Thursday, the SADC Organ Troika Senior Officials Meeting on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation on Friday, while the Summit of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation will be held on Saturday
Analysts have lauded the outgoing SADC Chairman for leading from the front during his tenure Political analyst Mr Dereck Goto said since assuming Chairmanship, President Mnangagwa had been an effective leader, adopting a region-first approach “He has placed regional economic integration at the heart of his Chairmanship “I was particularly struck by his remarks during a working visit to the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone on 13 December 2024, where he noted that
intra-regional trade in SADC remains a modest 23 percent
“He urged member states to dismantle artificial trade barriers and make real use of the Free Trade Area and the Industrialisation Strategy His quote: “We cannot afford to move at the pace of the slowest” — captured the urgency he brought to the table,” he said The political analyst described the President’s tenure as solid, strategic, and aligned with SADC’s long-term vision “He’s kept the region focused on integration, peace, and sovereignty in an increasingly fragmented global context
That deserves recognition “He’s also been quite vocal on sovereignty and liberation values “At a solidarity event for Western Sahara on March 23, 2025, he reminded the world that, “Africa cannot claim full liberation until Western Sahara is free and independent.”
“That’s vintage Mnangagwa — clear, assertive, and consistent with SADC’s founding ethos,” said Mr Goto Another Political Analyst, Mr Kudzai Mutisi said President Mnangagwa has exuded statesmanship during his tenure
“Zimbabwe’s SADC Chairmanship started and ended on a high note “The 44th SADC Summit held in Harare went on smoothly and President Mnangagwa managed regional affairs with exceptional statesmanship “During Zimbabwe’s chairmanship, electoral disputes in Namibia and Mozambique were peacefully resolved “Most importantly, President Mnangagwa worked closely with President Ruto to resolve the long running conflict between Rwanda and the DRC,” he said
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Originally published on Business Weekly
All Zim News
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Source: Businessweekly
