Online Reporter
Fungi Kwaramba, National Editor
President Mnangagwa’s strategic engagement at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) has successfully aligned international support with Zimbabwe’s core economic objectives, as the resulting Yokohama Declaration directly echoes his calls for debt justice, value-chain development, and affordable climate financing.
The declaration, adopted by leaders from Japan and African Union (AU) member states, paves the way for new synergies with Japanese investors.
This is a major diplomatic achievement for Zimbabwe, advancing its priorities in local mineral beneficiation, the ethical adoption of artificial intelligence, and building resilience against climate change — all key areas President Mnangagwa highlighted in his address.
“We the Heads of State and Government and delegations of Japan and Africa Union member states, together with representatives of co-organisers, namely the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank met in Yokohama, Japan, from 20th to 22nd August, for the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development . . . we underscore the importance of ensuring that TICAD outcomes reflect balanced integration of the shared vision and mutual interest of AU member states and Japan in the spirit of equitable partnership,” read the statement in part.
It went on to note the challenges that the African continent is facing, which include economic insecurity, inequity, economic stagnation, insurability and the high cost of services by some credit agencies.
The outcomes of the Summit, that was held under the theme “Co-Create innovative solutions with Africa” are particularly timely for Zimbabwe, which is seeking to restructure its approximately US$21 billion debt.
The Declaration explicitly commits to “address the high debt premium of borrowing countries, especially in Africa,” a move that could prove crucial for the country’s ongoing negotiations with creditors.
A central theme of the President’s advocacy, which is now reflected in the Declaration, is the urgent need for Africa to move beyond exporting raw materials. The pact calls for concrete actions to develop value chains on the continent, including encouraging Japanese investment in manufacturing, establishing special economic zones for electronics and green tech, and supporting Africa to export value-added goods to Japan.
“We aim to accelerate efforts to develop value-chain addition in Africa and integrate African countries into global supply chains,” the Declaration states, aligning perfectly with President Mnangagwa’s persistent vision for Zimbabwe’s mining and agricultural sectors.
On technology, both the President and the final communiqué struck a similar chord, emphasising that digital transformation and AI must be human-centric, ethical, and inclusive. The Declaration stresses the “need for technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, capacity and institution building.”
President Mnangagwa has been persistent in his call for the development of value-chains in key economic sectors such as mining and agriculture, the Declaration also adopted this as a pathway towards ensuring that Africa, whose exports are mostly in raw form, secures a fair share of the world trade.
“We endeavour to accelerate Africa’s regional economic integration and foster an enabling business environment to strengthen the role of the private sector as an engine of productive transformation to boost intra-Africa trade. We aim to accelerate efforts to develop value-chain addition in Africa and integrate African countries into global supply chains through a free, open, and fair trade and investment environment, so as to be able to secure a fair share in the growth of world trade and investment commensurate with the needs of their economic development. Recognising global supply chain shifts, we will encourage Japan’s investment in the manufacturing industry in Africa, with pilot economic zones to support electronics, green tech, and automotive industries. We commit to accelerating efforts for master planning with the objective of developing special economic zones and industrial zones to develop industrial value-chains,” the Declaration further reads.
In his speech, President Mnangagwa said while Artificial Intelligence is vital to drive development in Africa, it must be human-centric, ethical, and inclusive- with benefits accruing to all segments of society and contributing directly to Africa’s development priorities.
This was also captured in the communiqué, where the heads of State and Governments said, “We recognise the importance of co-creating an enabling environment to drive the digital transformation of Africa and stress the need for effective and responsible governance and utilisation of digital and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the need for technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, capacity and institution building. We also recognise the importance of ethical and responsible utilisation of data as a foundational element of digital transformation”.
Regarding the climate crisis, the document acknowledges Africa’s disproportionate burden despite contributing the least to global emissions.
“We underscore the importance of collaboration between Japan and Africa on clean energy technology and continue to call for a doubling of finance that is affordable, scalable, and predictable, that addresses the devastating impact of climate change and builds the resilience of vulnerable communities, especially those on the frontlines of the climate crisis”.
This resonates with President Mnangagwa’s stance that there should be substantial and predictable financing that aligns with Africa’s strategies not foreign-imposed conditions that override national development plans.
Going ahead, President Mnangagwa said Africa has to leverage on its abundant critical minerals to fully participate in new-energy value chains, placing the continent in a position to build industries around processing, manufacturing, and assembling green technology, like batteries and solar panels that Zimbabwe aims to produce locally in partnership with the private sector, capturing more economic value.
Apart from that, the Declaration also spoke of the need to support access to quality education, particularly the promotion of international knowledge exchange, science and technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In an interview, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said President Mnangagwa’s attendance was a strategic undertaking in fulfilment of Zimbabwe’s primary national objective: to foster a conducive and tranquil international environment in which the nation can thrive.
TICAD9, the minister added, provided a vital platform for Zimbabwe to advance its national interests in concert with the international community and in alignment with the principles of the African Union.
