SADC states urged to scale up value addition

Columbus Mabika–Herald Reporter

ZIMBABWE has urged fellow SADC states to step up efforts to value add their raw materials to realise more benefits. 

The call was made by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Brigadier General (Retired) Levi Mayihlome, during a presentation of the Zimbabwe Defence Policy to students of the Joint Command and staff course at Zimbabwe Staff College in Harare yesterday. 

Zimbabwe has frequently called on fellow states to utilise opportunities in value addition to consolidate the continental and regional development agenda and the gains made towards regional integration to positively impact the lives of citizens, including peace and security.

Brig Gen Mayihlome said value addition would lead nations to economic upliftment, spur economic development, and create jobs and industries. 

“During Zimbabwe’s tenure as SADC Chair in 2015, the late President Cde R G Mugabe implored member states to step up efforts to value add their raw materials to realise more benefits. To date the SADC’s main thrust is centred on industrialisation and value addition as a way of turning around the fortunes of member states’ economies,” he said. 

“Despite efforts to bring together the different African states in the spirit of promoting unity and economic co-operation, the continent continues to display characteristics reminiscent of colonialism. 

“This has led to continuous donor dependency as well as lagging in terms of developing capability to process abundant raw materials into finished products.” 

The successful industrialisation and value addition to raw materials of the region would signal a turning point and a departure from the previous trend of exporting unprocessed raw materials that were often lowly priced. 

Brig Gen Mayihlome said the region had witnessed manoeuvres by the West to try and integrate parts of the African continent into the wings of their economies. 

Similarly, he said, some powerful nations were scrambling to establish military bases in strategic parts of the African continent. 

This was evidence that powerful countries were determined to penetrate and control the African continent, militarily, to further their own political and socio-economic interests.

On the country’s economic development, Brig Gen Mayihlome said the engagement and re-engagement programme being driven by the Second Republic through the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra had yielded positive political and economic relations between Zimbabwe and the international community, while at the same time revitalising the investment climate in the country and attracting the much-needed foreign direct investment.

This had resulted in the country securing substantial investments such as the $4,2 billion Darwendale Platinum project, the Manhize iron and steel project, and several other mining projects.

Brig Gen Mayihlome said it was critical to note most of these projects were long-term in nature and required longer turnaround periods to have a direct impact on the economy. 

In this regard, he called on citizens to be patient whilst the fruits of these projects trickled down the economy.