GABORONE, Botswana – Zimbabwean President and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, arrived in Gaborone on December 13, 2024, for a working visit to the SADC Secretariat.
President Mnangagwa’s visit underscores his role in steering the regional bloc as its Chairperson, a position responsible for providing policy direction and overseeing SADC’s functions.
Official Ceremonies Planned
During his visit, President Mnangagwa will be joined by Botswana’s President, Duma Gideon Boko, for a series of key engagements:
- Handover of the SADC Secretariat Building
- The leaders will receive the newly completed SADC Secretariat Headquarters Building on behalf of the region’s Heads of State and Government.
- The construction of the headquarters was managed under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) agreement involving SADC, Bongwe Investments (Proprietary) Limited, and the Government of Botswana as guarantor.
- Groundbreaking for Regional Logistics Depot
- The Chairperson and President Boko will also officiate at the groundbreaking ceremony for the SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot (RLD) in Rasesa village, located 40km from Gaborone.
- The facility will store materials, equipment, and essential supplies for the SADC Standby Force, which is tasked with peacekeeping and humanitarian missions across the region.
Strengthening Regional Integration
President Mnangagwa’s visit is pivotal as it highlights SADC’s commitment to regional integration, infrastructure development, and enhanced capabilities for responding to crises. The SADC Secretariat headquarters and the forthcoming logistics depot are key milestones in the bloc’s efforts to bolster administrative and operational capacities.
The SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot, once operational, will improve the bloc’s readiness for mandated missions, ensuring rapid deployment of resources in times of need.
As SADC Chairperson, Mnangagwa holds the responsibility of guiding the bloc’s policy agenda, ensuring that the 16-member states align with the community’s goals of economic development, peace, and integration.
His visit to Gaborone reflects the importance of collective regional action in addressing shared challenges, including peacekeeping, economic cooperation, and infrastructure development.
