Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava (right) receives the gavel from Ambassador Tete Antonio of Angola during the handover of the chairmanship at the SADC Council of Ministers meeting at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, yesterday. – Picture: Kudakwashe Hunda.

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter

ZIMBABWE has taken over the chairmanship of the SADC Council of Ministers from Angola, ahead of the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government where President Mnangagwa will assume the bloc’s chairmanship. The handover ceremony, held yesterday at the SADC Council of Ministers’ meeting at the new Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, will see Zimbabwe lead the organisation’s efforts in fostering development and integration. In his acceptance speech, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister and new Council of Ministers’ chairperson, Ambassador Frederick Shava, pledged to prioritise food security and the restoration of regional peace and stability during Zimbabwe’s tenure as chair. He also stressed the need to promote innovation while creating opportunities for the present and future generations through sustainable regional industrialisation and economic growth. “The region is endowed with abundant resources which are essential for our growth if we can take advantage of the young, educated and trained youth force who possess the much-needed technological skills to spearhead our economic development. “The mainstreaming of our youth in the regional development agenda will resultantly promote innovation and unlock opportunities through sustained economic growth and industrialisation,” he said. Zimbabwe recently held the 7th annual SADC Industrialisation Week where private players and industrialists across all sectors of the economy had an opportunity to engage and exchange ideas on regional development. ReadMore