President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has arrived in Gaborone on a tour of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) headquarters in his capacity as chairman.
As part of tradition, SADC chairpersons visit the secretariat to engage with the management and address the staff. He is also expected to lead the groundbreaking ceremony to construct the SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot (RLD).
Mnangagwa will then visit the Julius Nyerere SADC Library before unveiling the Visiting Placard of the chairperson of the regional bloc.
He is also expected to debrief the SADC management team regarding the secretariat’s mandate, functions, organisational structure and division of responsibilities. He will also be informed about SADC’s priorities and the overall progress of regional integration in the area, covering the current status, emerging issues, and recommendations.
The SADC chair will then offer guidance on advancing the bloc’s programs and preside over a meeting with all SADC secretariat staff, joined by Botswana President Duma Boko.
Following that, there will be a ceremonial transfer of the SADC Headquarters Building from Bongwe Investments Proprietary Limited to Mnangagwa as chairman of the regional bloc, representing the regional heads of state and government.
Before the handover, the building was managed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement, which included SADC, Bongwe Investments (Proprietary) Limited as the private entity, and the Botswana government as a guarantor for the PPP arrangement.
Mnangagwa and newly-elected former opposition leader Boko will oversee the groundbreaking ceremony for the Regional Logistics Depot at Rasesa village, approximately 40km from Gaborone.
The RLD will be a storage facility for materials, equipment, and supplies for the SADC Standby Force when carrying out mandated peace support and humanitarian operations.
