From SADC to COMESA . . . President Mnangagwa to deepen regional trade as Zim takes COMESA Chair
Debra Matabvu
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will deepen regional trade integration among Southern and Eastern African countries as well as the rest of the continent when the country assumes chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) later this year, a senior Government official has said. In an interview last week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said one of the top agenda items when the country assumes the chairmanship of the regional bloc will be to advance regional market integration and accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said this will ensure increased intra-African trade, economic growth, and shared prosperity across member states. Zimbabwe is set to host the 25th COMESA summit later this year as it assumes chairmanship from Kenya in October. The COMESA chairmanship follows President Mnangagwa’s recent successful tenure as Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a move that reflects Zimbabwe’s dedication to Pan-African institutions and its active role in promoting regional development. During his successful tenure as SADC Chair, President Mnangagwa’s achievements included strengthening regional peace and security, especially when he was preoccupied with the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in northern Mozambique. In the DRC, he initiated joint summits between SADC and the East African Community, which helped ease tensions in that country. President Mnangagwa fostered economic development through various initiatives like promoting agricultural and digital transformation, promoting industrialisation and modernisation, addressing drought, and championing “African solutions to African problems”. ReadMore