Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will deepen regional trade integration among Southern and Eastern African countries as well as the rest of the continent when the country assumes chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) later this year, a senior Government official has said.
In an interview last week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said one of the top agenda when the country assumes the chairmanship of the regional bloc will be to advance regional market integration and accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said this will ensure increased intra-African trade, economic growth, and shared prosperity across member states.
Zimbabwe is set to host the 25th COMESA summit later this year as it assumes chairmanship from Kenya in October.
The COMESA chairmainship follows President Mnangagwa’s recent successful tenure as Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a move that reflects Zimbabwe’s dedication to Pan-African institutions and its active role in promoting regional development.
During his successful tenure as SADC Chair, President Mnangagwa’s achievements included strengthening regional peace and security, especially when he was pre-occupied with the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in northern Mozambique.
In the DRC, he initiated joint summits between SADC and the East African Community, which helped ease tensions in that country.
President Mnangagwa fostered economic development through initiatives various like promoting agricultural and digital transformation, promoting industrialisation and modernisation, addressing drought and championing “African solutions to African problems”.
COMESA was established 30 years ago and is a regional economic community dedicated to promoting free trade, economic cooperation and sustainable development among its 21 member states.
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe was already a “champion” in advocating for regional and pan-African integration and will during its tenure further the agenda.
“COMESA is a very influential building block of the African continental free trade area,” he said.
“It is nearly 700 million people, the population, the market is around 700 million, almost half or more than half of Africa’s population. So, COMESA is significant and our aim is to make sure that we further deepen the integration agenda, the market integration agenda within COMESA so that we accelerate the African continental free trade area through COMESA at the same time.
“We have a tripartite agreement between SADC, COMESA and the East African community.
“Zimbabwe is a champion and advocate of regional and Pan-African integration. We will be pushing this agenda because the issue is that Africa has to be able to trade within itself.”
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe will leverage on the setting up of the Intra -African Trade Free Company that is establishing its headquarters in Harare, as well as the completion of the Harare Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre (HAATC) this year.
“When we look at the average trade amongst African countries, it is less or equal to 20 percent or 21percent, which means 80 percent of the trade happens between African countries and the outside which is basically a historical artefact,” he said.
“However, now we have to be able to trade mostly amongst ourselves and also using the Pan-African payment system.
“Therefore, our aim as Zimbabwe through His Excellency President Mnangagwa is to deepen regional integration, deepen integration under the African continental free trade area and as you know Zimbabwe won the bid to host the Intra-African Trade Free Company which is the implementation agency of the African continental free trade area.”
130 signatures for UN seat
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe will from next month intensify its preparations for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent seat elections scheduled for June this year.
Already, Zimbabwe has secured about 130 signatures in support of its candidature from different countries from Africa and others from across the country.
He said besides the endorsements from continental blocs and global countries, Zimbabwe will rigorously communicate its beliefs and principles on global peace and development through visiting various United Nations General Assembly member states, as well as inviting them to Zimbabwe to have a first-hand appreciation of the country.
The Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the UN charged with maintaining international peace and security. Its mandate includes establishing peace keeping missions, enacting international sanctions and authorising military action. The Security Council has 15 members, with five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
“We will be visiting a lot of countries starting from February going into March and we are looking forward to inviting members of the United Nations General Assembly to Zimbabwe around April so that they appreciate the situation in our country,” Prof Murwira said.
“One of the issues that we have also included in our bid for the UN Security Council non-payment receipt is the involvement of youth and women in conflict resolution and post-conflict settlement. So, we think that we stand a very good chance to be part of the world solutions, not world problems.”
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe will continue to seek support from countries around the world that have not yet confirmed their backing for Zimbabwe’s candidature.
“Outside of Africa, we have approached so many countries to formally endorse, seeking their support, to formally endorse Zimbabwe as a non-payment member of the Security Council, which will be part of the vote in June of 2026,” he added.
“We have managed to get now 85 plus signatures, more than 85 signatures from different countries across the world, outside of Africa, to get that support for our bid as a non-payment member of the Security Council. We already have over almost 130 plus countries that have formally endorsed.
“Although some countries might not have formally written to us, we are in the process of making sure that they do.”
Prof Murwira said the country’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC is grounded in constitutional values that align closely with the UN Charter.
“Zimbabwe supports the United Nations and the values of the United Nations,”Professor Murwira added.
“We also support the sovereignty of all countries, sovereign equality of all countries.We also support the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, which is exactly ingrained in our constitution and which is part of the United Nations Charter.”
Sidumisile Mabena