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ON Saturday, Zimbabwe will host the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit, with President Mnangagwa set to assume the chairpersonship of the regional bloc. Our Reporter DEBRA MATABVU spoke to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador Albert Chimbindi on the role Zimbabwe will play as regional chair over the next year.
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Q: Zimbabwe will this week host the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit. Is the country ready to host the historic indaba?
A: Let me start by saying that indeed Zimbabwe is hosting the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit at the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden.
From the time it was announced, during the preparatory stages and today, it looked like utopia, but it has become a reality.
The day is upon us, fellow Zimbabweans, and we have already started the preceding meetings, building up to the Heads of State and Government Summit. August 7 saw the arrival of delegates for the Senior Officials meeting, and the following day, the meeting began.
The outgoing chairperson of the Senior Officials Standing Committee, Ambassador Nazare Jose Salvador, the director of the SADC office in Angola, handed over the chairpersonship to me, as the (Permanent) Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
This marked the beginning of proceedings and with it, Zimbabwe’s tenure as chair of the SADC for the meeting.
The Government of Zimbabwe has done massive preparations for hosting the regional indaba, with the guidance of the SADC Secretariat.
As you may be aware, the technical team visited the country three times during the preparations and gave a thumbs up on their last visit that everything was in order, in accordance to the minimum standards set by SADC for any hosting member state.
We are more than ready for the region to experience the warm Zimbabwean hospitality, our rich and diverse culture and the organisational prowess of the Government of Zimbabwe.
We thank those who made it possible for us to be at this level of readiness, including those from the private sector.
Q: President Mnangagwa will take over as SADC chairperson at the summit. In your opinion, how will Zimbabwe’s chairpersonship contribute to regional development?
A: His Excellency, President Dr ED Mnangagwa, will take over from His Excellency, President Joao Lourenco, of Angola.
As an active and responsible member of SADC, Zimbabwe will spearhead the various programmes and projects of the bloc, guided by the purposes, principles and procedures of the organisation.
As chair, Zimbabwe will provide leadership in the coordination of SADC programmes, whose outcomes are for the collective benefit of the member states.
In that regard, Zimbabwe will work hand in glove with all the members of SADC, the SADC Secretariat and other stakeholders.
Zimbabwe will also be afforded an opportunity to represent the bloc in international fora.
As chair, Zimbabwe will promote regional integration projects, infrastructural development, transportation networks and energy systems, pursuant to the timely theme for the 44th summit, which is “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustained Economic Growth and Development towards an Industrialised SADC”.
Currently, there is low intra-SADC trade, and Zimbabwe will be at the forefront of promoting regional trade through enhancing the simplification of customs procedures and reducing barriers to trade, both tariff and non-tariff.
Furthermore, Zimbabwe has been provided an opportunity to showcase her agricultural prowess through sharing of her expertise in agriculture to enhance regional food security.
This includes the promotion of climate-proof agricultural practices to combat the effects of climate change.
Suffice to recall that the region has been ravaged by the El Niño weather phenomenon and the Heads of State and Government are quite seized with the matter.
By and large, you should remember that our President is a respected statesman with vast experience in government; he will leverage on this experience as he leads our regional body.
Q: How important is hosting the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit to the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement drive?
A: It is important to note that the SADC region is the first domain in Zimbabwe’s foreign policy.
The hosting of the SADC summit is in line with the engagement and re-engagement agenda, as outlined in Zimbabwe’s foreign policy.
Section 12 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe states that the country’s foreign policy is based on the following principles: promotion of the national interests of Zimbabwe; respect for international law; peaceful co-existence with other nations; and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means.
In light of the above, the hosting of the summit is testament to the above-listed principles that govern Zimbabwe’s interaction with other countries in the community of nations, namely in the region, on the continent and beyond, in pursuit of our national economic, political, social and cultural interests.
I wish to draw your attention to the pillars of our foreign policy, as articulated at the genesis of the Second Republic in 2017.
During his inaugural address, President Mnangagwa highlighted the following as cornerstones of our diplomatic pursuits: that Zimbabwe would be a friend to all and an enemy to none; that Zimbabwe would pursue a policy of reaffirmation, engagement and re-engagement; and that Zimbabwe is open for business.
The consensus by the SADC member states for Zimbabwe to host the summit clearly shows the country’s good standing in the region.
The various statutory and non-statutory meetings to take place are spread across the political and economic spheres, hence the broader foreign policy objectives of the country are met during the summit and beyond.
As chair, Zimbabwe will continue on the path of good neighbourliness and work closely with all organs of the regional bloc to further promote the consolidation of peace and security, as well as the realisation of sustainable socio-economic development for all.
Zimbabwe’s hosting of the summit also affords the country an opportunity to showcase the rich and diverse Zimbabwean culture and experience and counter the negative perceptions that are always peddled by naysayers.
Our visitors are going to have a first-hand experience of what we are — a peaceful and welcoming people.
SADC is a people-driven organisation that promotes people-to-people interactions. Zimbabwean cuisine, culture and hospitality will help market brand Zimbabwe.
The SADC member states’ media will be covering proceedings of the summit, as well as other global media institutions, and this will give good publicity for the country.
Q: Which specific areas of the SADC agenda will Zimbabwe prioritise when the country assumes the chairpersonship of the regional body?
A: The responsibilities of the chair are spelt out in the SADC Treaty and basically include playing an oversight role, providing leadership and policy direction, and guiding the functions of the regional bloc.
Allow me to highlight some of the challenges faced by the regional bloc, which, when addressed, are key to the development of the region.
The region grapples with low economic growth, poor macroeconomic performance and high public debt levels.
Intra-regional trade remains low as compared to trade with other regional economic communities.
Food insecurity has worsened owing to the effects of the El Niño-induced drought and the effects of climate change.
There is need for member states to urgently implement measures to boost intra-regional trade, advance their manufacturing capacity, address trade imbalances, improve macroeconomic convergence and develop comprehensive food security strategies.
Zimbabwe will, therefore, be at the forefront of leading the regional efforts to find enduring solutions to old, new and emerging challenges.
There is also need for member states to improve their capacities in the transport and energy sectors, which anchor and enable the region’s socio-economic development.
Due to persistent droughts, water has become inadequate for everyday use, for agriculture and for electricity generation.
The region has to come up with solutions to address issues in the energy sector, diversify the energy mix, increase the renewable energy share, improve access to water and sanitation, and accelerate the development of regional infrastructural projects.
The region continues to experience the incidence of cholera and experience high prevalence of HIV/Aids, TB and malaria, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and high youth unemployment.
Zimbabwe will, in collaboration with other SADC member states, implement measures to prevent cholera resurgence, reduce prevalence and deaths from communicable and non-communicable diseases, address nutrition challenges and develop strategies to tackle youth unemployment through industrialisation.
The region is experiencing an increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, including El Niño-induced droughts affecting multiple countries.
The region can learn from Zimbabwe’s robust climate change interventions, which can enhance regional disaster response mechanisms.
The SADC Heads of State and Government will tour the Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd premises and the company will demonstrate how waste can be turned into profit while protecting the environment.
The promotion of peace and security in the region, and championing SADC Vision 2050 and the African Union Agenda 2063 are on top of the agenda of Zimbabwe’s chairpersonship.
The country will coordinate activities on the implementation of the 44th summit theme in the region as Government ministries, departments and agencies will chair the various sectoral working groups within SADC during the country’s tenure as chair.
As chair, Zimbabwe will also make an effort to further promote the SADC region’s relations with the wider international community.
As you are aware, SADC has established cooperation arrangements with other regional economic communities; international cooperating partners; organisations and countries that wish to engage SADC countries as a collective, including the European Union.
This will assist the region in seeking solutions to transboundary challenges, as well as pursuing issues of common interest.
This is consistent with the country’s reaffirmation, engagement and re-engagement mantra.
Q: May you briefly outline the agenda of the two meetings that are preceding the summit and their significance?
A: Before the Heads of State and Government Summit, various meetings will be held.
Of focus to our discussion is the Standing Committee of Senior Officials meeting to be held from August 8 to 11.
It will be followed by the Council of Ministers meeting from August 13 to14.
The Organ Troika meetings will be held from August 15 to 16 and the actual Heads of State and Government Summit on August 17.
There are two side events at the initiative of His Excellency, the President, Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, namely the tour of the Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd premises, already alluded to above, and the Museum of African Liberation.
What is of significance is the fact that, at the Senior Officials meeting, which commenced on August 8, l assumed the chairpersonship, as the (Permanent) Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
At the beginning of the Council of Ministers meeting on August 13, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Frederick Shava, will assume the chairpersonship.
Let me highlight that these are preparatory meetings for the actual summit of Heads of State.
Broadly speaking, the agenda items of the two meetings will look into issues pertaining to the financing of the regional organisation programmes and projects; review the status of the implementation of the previous council and summit decisions; review progress of the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP); and review the previous themes and progress made in the realisation of the themes.
Candidature to continental and international organisations from member states will be considered for deliberations.
The meetings will review progress made in the regional integration agenda and come up with recommendations on how to drive that agenda forward and also coming up with the 44th summit agenda.
Q: Briefly outline the draft agendas of the two meetings and how these agendas will feed into the summit?
A: As l have mentioned, these meetings are a buildup to the summit.
You may be aware that the SADC member states cooperate in various areas under the RISDP, a regional blueprint covering a number of areas across the various sectors.
The meetings review progress made in all these commitments and proffer recommendations on the best way forward.
What we have agreed, as Senior Officials, who are the technical staff, is presented as recommendations to the ministers, and the ministers will report to the Heads of States for guidance and decisions.
Online Reporter