Online Reporter
Nduduzo Tshuma in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived here yesterday ahead of today’s Heads of State Summit of the Fourth Session of the Zimbabwe-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC), the highest-level platform for strengthening bilateral ties and translating the two countries’ shared history and economic interests into deeper cooperation and tangible development.
The summit marks the culmination of engagements that began in Pretoria with two days of discussions among senior Government officials before moving to the ministerial level, where the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and shaped proposals for consideration by President Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa.
It brings to the highest political level a process aimed at giving fresh impetus to the longstanding relationship between Zimbabwe and South Africa, with the two countries seeking to translate their shared history, geographical proximity and strong political ties into deeper cooperation and practical development outcomes.
President Mnangagwa was welcomed at Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Johannesburg by South African Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa Lovemore Mazemo and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira.
Posting on his X handle (formerly Twitter), after his arrival, President Mnangagwa said the two countries will hold crucial high-level talks to strengthen economic trade, energy cooperation, cross-border infrastructure and regional security.
“Together, we continue to build stronger bridges for sustainable development and shared prosperity within the SADC region,” said the President.
The ministerial segment was co-chaired by Prof Murwira and his South African counterpart, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and was attended by several ministers and senior officials from both countries, including Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, State Security Minister Lovemore Matuke, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube and Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa among senior government officials and ZimTrade chief executive officer Allan Majuru.
In his remarks, Prof Murwira placed the BNC within the broader historical and geographical relationship between the two countries, describing the bilateral partnership as being founded on mutual respect, good neighbourliness and a shared destiny.
He said Zimbabwe and South Africa’s geographical proximity and common history necessitated cooperation particularly as the two countries confront shared economic and security challenges.
He said the ministerial meeting had laid the groundwork for the leaders’ engagement, while reaffirming Zimbabwe’s commitment to a stable, mature and predictable foreign policy anchored on its “Neighbourhood First” approach.
Prof Murwira also highlighted the importance of the two countries’ security establishments in confronting transnational threats and expressed Zimbabwe’s appreciation for South Africa’s support for its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term.
Zimbabwe secured 182 votes out of 190 eligible votes, representing a 96 percent endorsement.
The minister also linked the BNC to Zimbabwe’s wider economic diplomacy, saying the country wanted to use its relationship with South Africa to expand industrial cooperation, trade and tourism.
Prof Murwira said the two countries should harness their historical and cultural links as instruments for promoting social cohesion and confronting poverty.
“It’s not this nation against that nation, it’s our two nations against poverty,” he said, framing economic development as the central objective of the bilateral partnership.
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe and South Africa would continue working together within the broader regional framework of SADC’s Vision 2050 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
On his part, Minister Lamola stressed the need to move beyond strong political relations towards practical economic cooperation that delivers tangible benefits to citizens.
“Political relationship alone cannot sustain the good bilateral relations of the two countries,” he said, calling for greater focus on joint projects, economies of scale, cross-border special economic zones, investment and employment creation.
The two countries also discussed cooperation along the North-South Corridor, with the Beitbridge border post identified as a strategic gateway for the movement of people and goods between Zimbabwe, South Africa and the wider region.
Minister Lamola said cooperation would extend to modernising road and rail infrastructure, improving border management, developing logistics facilities and strengthening links with ports and regional markets.
Water security, digital connectivity and energy were also identified as areas where closer cooperation could support economic development.
Energy security also featured prominently, with the two countries expected to explore cooperation in electricity generation, transmission, renewable energy and regional power connectivity through the Southern Africa Power Pool.
Minister Lamola said South Africa was Zimbabwe’s second-largest agricultural export market in 2025, receiving products worth about US$202 million, while Zimbabwe was South Africa’s second-largest agricultural export market globally, after the Netherlands.
He called for cooperation to move beyond trade in finished products towards seeds, machinery, agricultural technology and agro-processing, while promoting regional value chains and beneficiation of minerals and other resources.
The minister also urged greater private-sector participation, saying businesses in both countries should identify barriers to investment and trade and develop joint ventures that could expand production and access to regional markets.
A Zimbabwe-South Africa Business Forum being held on the sidelines of the BNC today is expected to provide another platform for strengthening private sector ties, with more than 70 companies from Zimbabwe participating at the event.
