President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa arrived in Durban to attend the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, where he is expected to push for deeper regional integration and a decisive shift from policy commitments to tangible results.
The President was received at King Shaka International Airport by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Anna Tandi Moraka, Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. Amon Murwira and Ambassador Lovemore Mazemo.
The summit, being held under the theme “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World,” comes as the regional bloc marks 34 years since the transformation of SADCC into SADC.
In a post on his official X handle confirming his arrival, President Mnangagwa declared, “Zimbabwe remains deeply committed to driving regional integration. We look forward to fruitful deliberations that unlock the full potential of our shared infrastructure, agriculture and vast mineral wealth.
“Together, we are building a stronger, self-sustaining SADC ecosystem that leaves no one and no place behind.”
Ahead of the summit, Foreign Minister Prof. Murwira issued a blunt challenge to member states, declaring the era of policy formulation must now give way to action.
“It is now time for implementation. Enough talk of policies. The policies are there,” he said.
Zimbabwe is championing four pillars within the bloc- peace and security, industrialisation, infrastructure development and social and human capital development.
Prof. Murwira called for the aggressive dismantling of trade barriers.
“We want to move away even from one-stop border posts to non-stop border posts. That’s integration.”
The summit will also see President Mnangagwa formally hand over the SADC chairmanship to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has held the position on an interim basis following political disturbances in Madagascar.