Online Reporter
Africa Moyo [email protected]
ZIMBABWE’S forthcoming COMESA Chairmanship should be defined by practical action rather than ceremonial leadership, with a strong focus on removing trade barriers, modernising strategic border posts and accelerating regional economic integration, economist Mr Persistence Gwanyanya has said.
The country is set to assume the COMESA Chairmanship for the 2026-2027 term at a time when the regional bloc is seeking to increase intra-regional trade, which remains relatively low despite the existence of a free trade area and a range of trade facilitation instruments.
Intra-COMESA trade currently accounts for between seven and nine percent of total trade, significantly lower than the European Union’s 60 percent and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ 25 percent.
The COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2026-2030 identifies regional market consolidation, infrastructure development and connectivity, productive integration and institutional strengthening as key priorities. The plan also seeks to increase intra-regional exports to 25 percent of total exports by 2026 while strengthening implementation of the African Continental Free
Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Zimbabwe will host the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit at the new Parliament Building in Mt Hampden on October 22 under the theme: “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
Mr Gwanyanya, a member of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Monetary Policy Committee and founder and chief executive officer of Bullion Group International, said Zimbabwe should use its chairmanship to translate existing regional commitments into tangible results for businesses and consumers.
He said attention should be directed towards addressing practical challenges that continue to make cross-border trade costly, slow and unpredictable.
“Zimbabwe has an opportunity to use the COMESA chairmanship to move the region from declarations to implementation,” he said.
“The real test will not be the number of meetings held, but whether we can reduce the cost and time of moving goods, services and payments across borders.”
One of the key areas requiring urgent attention is the removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which include administrative delays, inconsistent regulations, additional charges and transit-related bottlenecks.
Zimbabwe should advocate stronger enforcement mechanisms through National Monitoring Committees and support the establishment of time-bound processes for resolving disputes when member States fail to remove reported barriers.
“Trade facilitation has to become an enforceable regional obligation. If a trader is compliant but loses days at a border because of an administrative bottleneck, the entire objective of regional integration is undermined,” said Mr Gwanyanya.
Digitalisation also presents an opportunity to improve trade efficiency.
COMESA already operates an Electronic Single Window framework, while its Virtual Trade Facilitation System integrates several trade facilitation instruments and enables cargo monitoring along regional corridors.
Zimbabwe, which is implementing the Electronic Single Window system, can use its chairmanship to encourage the coordinated adoption of similar platforms across member States to ensure interoperability rather than isolated operation.
The harmonisation of Rules of Origin and customs procedures with the AfCFTA framework should also be prioritised to reduce compliance costs arising from overlapping trade agreements.
Mr Gwanyanya said regional payment systems must also be strengthened to simplify cross-border transactions and reduce dependence on hard currencies.
“Payment systems are central to trade. If we facilitate the movement of goods but make settlement difficult, then we have only solved half of the problem,” he said.
The modernisation of strategic border posts is expected to form a key component of Zimbabwe’s trade facilitation agenda as it assumes leadership of COMESA while remaining a central member of SADC.
Particular attention is being placed on the planned upgrading of Chirundu and Forbes border posts because of their strategic importance to regional trade corridors.
Chirundu remains a key gateway linking Zimbabwe and Zambia while providing access to the Democratic Republic of Congo and other northern markets along the North-South Corridor.
Similarly, Forbes Border Post serves as an important trade route between Zimbabwe and Mozambique and provides access to eastern regional markets and Indian Ocean ports.
Upgrading both border posts, together with improvements to road infrastructure and digital customs systems, is expected to reduce border delays, ease congestion and lower logistics costs while improving trade efficiency.
The modernisation of Chirundu is being pursued alongside the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Harare-Chirundu Highway, a US$900 million project that is being implemented under a public-private partnership arrangement.
The project is expected to be completed within 18 months and will improve road safety, reduce congestion and strengthen regional trade links.
The Harare-Chirundu corridor carries substantial commercial traffic connecting Zimbabwe with Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other northern markets, making its efficiency critical to both COMESA and SADC economies.
Forbes Border Post is also expected to benefit from modern infrastructure and improved border management systems to accommodate increasing trade volumes between Zimbabwe, Mozambique and other regional markets.
Beyond trade facilitation, Zimbabwe can use its chairmanship to champion the development of regional value chains in agriculture, manufacturing and mineral beneficiation.
Stronger production linkages and increased value addition would enable COMESA countries to trade more intermediate goods and industrial inputs within the region, reducing dependence on imports from outside the bloc.
Zimbabwe’s drive towards mineral beneficiation, agricultural processing and industrial growth presents opportunities to contribute to regional value chains while creating markets for producers throughout COMESA.
Infrastructure development will remain an essential part of that agenda, particularly along major regional corridors and at strategic border posts.
Efficient transport networks, digital customs systems, coordinated border agencies and interoperable payment platforms have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of moving goods across borders.
Mr Gwanyanya said Zimbabwe should ensure its chairmanship leaves a lasting impact through durable institutions and systems that continue delivering results beyond the 2026-2027 tenure.
“That is how we create an enduring legacy — through institutions, systems and measurable improvements in regional trade,” he said.
For Zimbabwe, the COMESA Chairmanship represents more than an opportunity to preside over regional meetings.
It offers a platform to drive practical reforms, modernise key trade gateways such as Chirundu and Forbes, reduce the cost of doing business, boost intra-COMESA and SADC trade and deepen regional integration.
The success of Zimbabwe’s tenure will ultimately be judged not by the number of summits convened or resolutions adopted, but by whether traders experience faster border clearance, lower transaction costs, fewer administrative barriers and more predictable access to regional markets.
