Zimbabwe has assumed the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers from Angola.
The development comes ahead of the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government where President Mnangagwa will assume the regional bloc's rotational chairmanship.
Foreign Affairs Minister Frederick Shava took over leadership of the SADC Council of Ministers from his Angolan counterpart Ambassador Tete Antonio during the handover ceremony Tuesday at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, situated on the outskirts of Harare.
Zimbabwe will steer the organisation's efforts in fostering development and integration for the next year.
In his acceptance speech, Shava pledged to prioritise food security and the restoration of regional peace and stability during Zimbabwe's tenure as chair.
He also emphasised the promotion of innovation while creating opportunities for the present and future generations through sustainable regional industrialisation and economic growth.
"The region is endowed with abundant resources which are essential for our growth if we can take advantage of the young, educated and trained youth force who possess the much-needed technological skills to spearhead our economic development.
"The mainstreaming of our youth in the regional development agenda will resultantly promote innovation and unlock opportunities through sustained economic growth and industrialisation," Shava said.
Zimbabwe recently held the 7th annual SADC Industrialisation Week where private players and captains of industry and commerce, across all sectors of the economy, had an opportunity to engage and exchange ideas on regional development.
"We should commend ourselves for a sterling job on the strides we have made through implementing our development agenda. We have made commendable progress for the year 2022/2023 despite the continued effects of Covid-19, climate-induced calamities such as drought and El Nino and epidemics like cholera and malaria," he said.
Shava hailed the consummation of the inter-governmental Memorandum of Agreement among the SADC Member States to establish the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), which would be instrumental in addressing various disasters affecting the region.
He also called for all Member States to continue fostering the regional development plan anchored on the foundation of peace, security, and good governance.
"Peace and stability are fundamental ingredients for a regional transformative agenda: without them, our aspirations and vision will be gravely compromised. It is in this vein that we bemoan the impact of terrorist-induced conflicts in some parts of our region.
Outgoing chair of the Council of Ministers and Angola's Minister of External Relations, António, said under Angola's chairmanship, the region had recorded several achievements guided by the theme of the 43rd SADC Summit; "Human capital and financial capital; major factors for sustainable industrialisation in the SADC region".
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Last week, Zimbabwe became chair of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials taking over from Angola.
The SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials is a technical advisory committee to the Council of Ministers. It consists of permanent/principal secretaries or officials of equivalent rank from each Member State, mostly from the ministries responsible for Foreign Affairs, Economic Planning or Finance.
The process marked the start of the official handover of the SADC seat from Angola to Zimbabwe, whose major highlight will be Saturday when Mnangagwa is installed chair during the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government.
