Online Reporter
Kudakwashe Mugari in ADDIS ABABA,Ethiopia
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has enjoined African leaders to aggressively invest in water and irrigation infrastructure to insulate the continent’s agriculture from increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Speaking before his departure from the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the weekend, the President highlighted water security as the primary pillar for the continent’s survival and economic sovereignty.
The summit, held under the theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” positioned water not just as a resource, but as a strategic security imperative.
While Africa possesses vast natural potential, the President counselled that its reliance on rain-fed agriculture remains a critical vulnerability.
“Africa’s main lifeline is agriculture,” President Mnangagwa said.
President Mnangagwa addresses the media at Bole International Airport yesterday after attending the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. – Picture: Presidential Photographer Tawanda Mudimu.
“Modern agriculture can best be improved through irrigation. Irrigation depends on the damming of water.”
He also pointed to Zimbabwe’s progress in dam construction as a blueprint that, if adopted across the continent, could secure food self-sufficiency.
“The objective is that each country must have enough land and irrigation to safeguard its own security,” he added.
Current AU data indicates that over 400 million people in Africa lack access to basic drinking water.
Africa has been severely impacted by extreme droughts, destructive cyclones, and erratic rainfall patterns, leaving millions vulnerable to food insecurity.
The President framed the current focus on water and infrastructure as the specific mission of the contemporary crop of African leaders.
Reflecting on the evolution of the AU, the President compared the mission of today’s leaders to that of the continent’s founding fathers.
“If you look to the generation of the Nyereres and the Kaundas, there were different challenges. Ours is different,” he said.
“The next generation will be different. But we must stand up to the challenges that face our generation.”
While acknowledging the existence of regional “hotspots,” the President remained optimistic about continental peace.
The President is welcomed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda on his return from Addis Ababa at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport yesterday. Looking on are Vice President Dr Kembo Mohadi (partially obscured) and Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Charles Tavengwa (centre). – Picture: Joseph Manditswara.
“The question of a secure situation is across the world,” he said. “But of course, in Africa, I think we are doing better than most continents. In Africa, we have small hotspots here and there. But on the world, we cooperate in bringing about order and supporting each other to bring about security and peace on the continent.”
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa has described the just-ended 39th AU Summit as a resounding success that has further solidified Zimbabwe’s standing among continental peers.
He expressed satisfaction with the summit’s outcomes, noting that Zimbabwe had accomplished its strategic objectives through a series of high-stakes bilateral engagements and policy contributions.
“I think from my own point of view, we accomplished what we had intended to accomplish. And I’m happy that most Heads of State attended. And as for Zimbabwe, I had the opportunity of meeting several Heads of State, exchanging bilateral relations.”
A major highlight of the President’s itinerary was about an hour-long private discussion with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Addressing the nature of the sit-down, President Mnangagwa characterised the meeting as a bridge between generations.
“It was a discussion between an elder brother and a younger brother,” the President said.
He noted that President Ramaphosa sought “wisdom” from the older generation of leaders, while he sought to understand the “wisdom of the younger generation” to navigate modern crises.
The 39th Summit concluded with a collective commitment from member states to elevate water and sanitation to the level of global security priorities, seeking to bridge the infrastructure gap that currently leaves over 400 million Africans without access to clean water.
Meanwhile, the President returned home yesterday and was welcomed at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by the two Vice Presidents — Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Dr Kembo Mohadi, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda, service chiefs and senior Government officials.
