Online Reporter
Nduduzo Tshuma in Johannesburg, South Africa
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived in South Africa 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 advancing bilateral relations and turning the two countries’ shared history and economic interests into stronger cooperation and concrete development outcomes.
The summit marks the culmination of a series of engagements that began in Pretoria with two days of discussions among senior government officials before progressing to the ministerial level, where delegates reviewed the state of bilateral relations and prepared recommendations for consideration by President Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The meeting elevates to the highest political level ongoing efforts to inject fresh momentum into one of southern Africa’s most significant bilateral relationships, with Zimbabwe and South Africa seeking to leverage their shared history, close geographical ties and longstanding political relations to deepen cooperation and accelerate development.
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 Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira.
Posting on his X page (formerly Twitter) after arriving in South Africa, President Mnangagwa said the two countries would hold crucial high-level discussions aimed at strengthening 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. It 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, as well as senior government officials and ZimTrade chief executive officer Allan Majuru.
In his remarks, Prof Murwira situated the BNC within the broader historical and geographical ties binding the two countries, describing the relationship as one built on mutual respect, good neighbourliness and a shared destiny.
He said Zimbabwe and South Africa’s geographic proximity and common history made close cooperation essential, particularly as the two countries face similar economic and security challenges.
Prof Murwira said the ministerial meeting had laid a solid foundation for the discussions between the two Heads of State, while reaffirming Zimbabwe’s commitment to a stable, mature and predictable foreign policy guided by its “Neighbourhood First” approach.
He also underscored the importance of cooperation between the two countries’ security institutions in addressing transnational threats and expressed Zimbabwe’s appreciation for South Africa’s support during its successful bid for a non-permanent seat on 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 further linked the BNC to Zimbabwe’s broader economic diplomacy agenda, saying Harare sought to use its strong relationship with Pretoria to expand industrial cooperation, trade and tourism.
Prof Murwira said the two countries should harness their historical and cultural ties to promote social cohesion and reduce 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 frameworks of SADC Vision 2050 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
On his part, Minister Lamola stressed the need for the two countries to move beyond strong political relations and focus on practical economic cooperation capable of delivering tangible benefits to citizens.
“Political relationship alone cannot sustain the good bilateral relations of the two countries,” he said, calling for greater emphasis on joint projects, economies of scale, cross-border special economic zones, investment and job 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 connections to ports and regional markets.
Water security, digital connectivity and energy were also identified as key sectors in which closer collaboration could drive economic growth and development.
Energy security featured prominently during the discussions, with the two countries expected to explore opportunities in electricity generation, transmission, renewable energy and regional power integration through the Southern African Power Pool.
Minister Lamola said South Africa was Zimbabwe’s second-largest agricultural export market in 2025, receiving products worth approximately US$202 million, while Zimbabwe was South Africa’s second-largest agricultural export market globally after the Netherlands.
He called for cooperation to extend beyond trade in finished products to include seeds, machinery, agricultural technology and agro-processing, while promoting regional value chains and beneficiation of minerals and other resources.
The minister also called for increased private-sector participation, saying businesses in both countries should work together to identify barriers to trade and investment and pursue joint ventures capable of boosting production and expanding access to regional markets.
A Zimbabwe-South Africa Business Forum, being held on the sidelines of the BNC today, is expected to provide an additional platform for strengthening private-sector partnerships, with more than 70 Zimbabwean companies participating in the event.
