Wallace Ruzvidzo — Herald Reporter
ALL critical infrastructure that will be used during the forthcoming SADC Summit in August is taking shape, with a number of roads and the sprucing up of accommodation facilities having been completed, while other projects are at various stages of completion.
Some of the roads that had been closed to traffic have been opened and hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Harare The Meikles, and Rainbow Towers, have had their Presidential Suites upgraded.
Venues to be used are being prepared, all this in anticipation of Zimbabwe successfully hosting the summit.
The summit will be held under the theme, "Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialised SADC".
During the summit, Zimbabwe will assume the chairmanship of the regional bloc.
Two SADC missions have already been in the country to assess the progress being made and they have both been pleased with the speed at which works are being carried out.
The teams have toured the new Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, assessed some of the hotels that will accommodate delegates and also toured the Museum of African Liberation, which the Heads of State and Government will visit.
President Mnangagwa continues to express confidence that the summit will be "a record of excellence" and that Zimbabwe is fully capable of delivering for the region.
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"I don't think there is any one of the 16 (SADC member States) which should be looked down upon, not to host SADC, and we are one of the 16.
"And we will host it. And I believe that it will be a record of excellence because of our people like you (media), I believe in you.
"I believe you will give a fantastic coverage of the SADC Summit when we host it here, and I think we have the capacity to host SADC here," said the President recently.
One of the facilities, the Liberation City, is scheduled to host the region's Heads of State for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Liberation Monument and cultural Presidential breakfast, as well as hosting Foreign Permanent Secretaries.
Instak chief executive officer Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi said they were working flat out to ensure the Presidents and their delegations will have a wonderful experience in the country.
"We have been here for two, three years and we will continue working but I am very sure we are going to present a dignified facility to the delegates to the summit.
"We are hosting the Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretaries and the Foreign Ministers reception here and we are hosting the Heads of State for the SADC Liberation Monument ground-breaking ceremony and a cultural Presidential breakfast.
"We have so many projects. We have got the museum, hotel and each of these has its budget and its funding as well. Some are publicly funded, some are partnerships between the public and the private sector and some like the Heritage Village is exclusively ours, but this is a multi-million-dollar project that is being developed," he said.
