By 
By Ross Moyo
The recently held 44th SADC Summit which culminated with Zimbabwe’s president, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa assuming chairmanship of the regional bloc availed many nuggets which registered the most successful two side events including August 18th 2024, Geo-Pomona Waste Management Project tour by Heads of State and Government; and the Launch of the SADC Liberation Square at the Museum of African Liberation.
In addition, Zimbabwe’s President delivered a masterclass public lecture at the University of Zimbabwe titled “Building Research Capacity and Innovation Ecosystems for a Sustainable Industrialised SADC Economy.”
The summit was the most successful ever by SADC standards with 9 Presidents turning up with the exception of Mauritius, Comoros Heads of States and Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema being a no show.
Over 150 companies from the SADC region participated 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 were the Investment Conference Officially Opened by President Mnangagwa and the Ministers’ Plenary Session.
The Technical Preparatory Sub-Committees were constituted to prepare for the 44th SADC Summit which included 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 was preceded by the 7th Annual SADC Industrialisation Week, which ran 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, saw the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) assume Chairmanship of the SADC Business Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat, the SADC Business Council and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
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