President in SA for Sadc summit

PRESIDENT Mugabe is in South Africa for the 37th Sadc Head of State and Government Summit.

He flew to Pretoria yesterday evening.

President Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Christopher Mushohwe, Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Joram Gumbo, State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi and service chiefs.

VP Mphoko is the Acting President.

The summit runs from August 19-20. It will be preceded by a Double Troika meeting tomorrow.

Meetings of senior officials and Council of Ministers were also held as a build up to the main summit. The summit is running under the theme: “Partnering with the private sector in developing industry and regional value-chains”.

South African President Jacob Zuma will assume the Sadc chair.

He takes over from King Mswati III of Swaziland.

The 37th Sadc Summit will focus on how public-private partnerships can be harnessed to drive forward the industrialisation agenda of southern Africa.

It is also expected to consider a report by the Sadc secretariat on the development of an implementation plan and roadmap on the conclusions of the Strategic Ministerial Retreat on the “Sadc We Want” that was held in Swaziland in March.