EFF Zimbabwe rallies citizens to support President Mnangagwa’s SADC chairmanship for regional integration

THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Zimbabwe has rallied citizens to support President Mnangagwa’s Southern Africa Development Community’s chairmanship saying under his leadership the bloc should foster more regional integration.

EFF Zimbabwe Mr Innocent Ndibali said the SADC chairmanship should unite Zimbabweans as the position should be the pride of the nation for the coming 12 months.

President Mnangagwa assumed the SADC chairmanship during the 44th SADC Summit held at the New Parliament Building in Hampden on the outskirts of Harare.

“We are an opposition party but we understand that President Mnangagwa has taken over the chairmanship of SADC by virtue of being the President of Zimbabwe and not because he is a leader of ZANU PF. All Zimbabweans must support President Mnangagwa in his role as chairman of SADC because there is a lot that the country and region at large can benefit from his leadership,” said Mr Ndibali.

“We note that regional integration is key to economic development and as chairman of SADC, he is in a better position to pursue regional economic integration for the benefit of everyone.”

He said as the country assumed the chairmanship, there is a need for more economic cooperation for the growth of the bloc.

Mr Ndibali said there is also a need to facilitate free movement of people within the region and he commended strides being made between Zimbabwe and Botswana to scrap passports when citizens of both nations travel.

He said home grown solutions should constitute the SADC agenda if the countries are to achieve inclusive growth.

“We are not ignorant of the fact that Zimbabwe still has economic and social challenges, but with home[1]grown solutions and contributions through ideas and other forms, from countries in the SADC, and all political parties in the country, the lives of our people can be changed for the better. The EFF Zimbabwe therefore salutes SADC for passing on the button to Zimbabwe to chair the regional bloc,” he said.

-@nqotshili