Preparations for the hosting of the 44th Summit of the SADC area on course with several activities lined up ahead of the event.
Cabinet considered the Report on the Preparations for Hosting the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government which was presented by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable F.T. Mhona on behalf of the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on SADC Summit Preparations.
Cabinet advised that the Technical Preparatory Sub-Committees have been constituted to prepare for the 44th SADC Summit, namely: Transport; Protocol and Conferencing; Accommodation; Entertainment and Excursions; Security and Accreditation; Media and Publicity; Health and Environment; Information, Communication and Technology; Industrialisation Week; Public Lecture and Finance.
The SADC Summit will be preceded by the 7th Annual SADC Industrialisation Week, which will run from 28 July to 2 August, 2024 under the theme “Promoting innovation to unlock opportunities for sustainable economic growth and development towards an Industrialised SADC”.
The event, at which the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries will assume Chairmanship of the SADC Business Forum, will be hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat, the SADC Business Council and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
It is expected that 150 companies from the SADC region will participate at the event, comprising private sector players in the agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, pharmaceutical, financial, consumer and capital goods, women and youth, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and infrastructure sectors. The major highlights of the Industrialisation week will be as follows: Investment Conference Official Opening by His Excellency the President and the Ministers’ Plenary Session.
The 44th SADC Summit will have two side events on 18 August 2024, namely: a tour of Geo-Pomona Waste Management Project by Heads of State and Government; and the Launch of the SADC Liberation Square at the Museum of African Liberation.
In addition, His Excellency, the President, will deliver a public lecture at the University of Zimbabwe titled “Building Research Capacity and Innovation Ecosystems for a Sustainable Industrialised SADC Economy”.
Meanwhile, the construction of other support infrastructure is underway in Mt. Hampden, including the following: a dedicated 12.8 kilometre 11KV line from Mt. Hampden to the New Parliament; civil works, including roads and water systems.