PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has rallied Zimbabweans to warmly welcome visitors, some of whom have already started coming, for the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit to be held in Harare.
Some of the delegates are participating in the SADC Industrialisation Week that started in the capital yesterday, running until August 2.
The President is set to assume the SADC Chairmanship at this year’s summit to be held at New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden.
In an interview with ZBC News yesterday from his Precabe farm in Kwekwe, President Mnangagwa called on the people to be warm and receptive towards the country’s visitors.
“I say to our people of Zimbabwe, let us welcome our visitors with the greatest warmth we can muster as a nation and as a leadership,” said President Mnangagwa.
“We believe that if we put all our efforts together we should be able to host this summit in a memorable manner that many people will remember about it, and I think we have the capacity and the will to host this summit.”
At least 1 800 delegates, excluding journalists, are expected for the SADC Summit while 300 delegates are also expected during the SADC Industrialisation Week.
Sixteen Heads of State and Government are set to descend on Harare for the summit. But before the Heads of State meet, there will be meetings for senior officials and the Council of Ministers.
Zimbabwe’s expected assumption of the SADC chairmanship next month will propel the country into the front row seat of global affairs as a key contributor to international affairs.
The chairmanship means President Mnangagwa will have an extra role to play with the United Nations as well as the Africa Union in the capacity of chair of a Regional Economic Community.
The SADC Chairmanship position will also give fresh impetus to Zimbabwe’s bid to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2027 to 2028.
During the Sadc Industrialisation Week, Zimbabwe is expected to share President Mnangagwa’s vision of industrial growth as well as the need to forge international synergies in line with the President’s economic diplomacy thrust.
Ahead of the upcoming full SADC Summit, infrastructure projects are being paced up in preparation for hosting visiting Heads of State and Government and their delegations.
However, for a country that had started its infrastructure modernisation, Government has assured the nation that all the developments would continue as previously planned.
The infrastructure boom in and around Mt Hampden, where a new city is being constructed, got fresh impetus from Zimbabwe’s hosting of the SADC Summit.
Mt Hampden, which got a huge area lift with the construction of the New Parliament Building, has of late seen a boom in construction, including Nemakonde Way and Old Mazowe Road and the Boulevard off Harare-Bindura Road.
