PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has embarked on his maiden visit to Botswana in his capacity as chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), where he is expected to tour the secretariat headquarters.
As is tradition, SADC chairpersons visit the secretariat to engage with management and address staff.
Mnangagwa will officiate at two other events, including the groundbreaking ceremony of the regional blocs' logistics nerve centre.
According to media reports, the Zanu PF leader is scheduled to meet and engage with the secretariat staff and unveil the recently purchased SADC Secretariat Headquarters Building. He will also preside over a ground-breaking ceremony at the construction site of the SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot (RLD).
Mnangagwa will proceed to the Julius Nyerere SADC Library, where he will acquaint himself with the SADC History Collection. This will be followed by the unveiling of the Visiting Placard by the regional bloc chairperson.
He will proceed to confer with the SADC management team, where Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs Judith Kateera will brief him on the mandate, functions, and structure of the secretariat and the division of responsibilities.
Mnangagwa will also be appraised on the priorities of SADC, and the overall status of regional integration in the region (status, emerging issues, and recommendations).
The SADC chair will then proceed to proffer guidance on the implementation of the bloc's programmes going forward and preside over a meeting with all SADC secretariat staff accompanied by Botswana President Duma Boko, an awkward arrangement the octogenarian cannot conveniently avoid.
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Thereafter, there will be a ceremonial hand-over of the SADC Headquarters Building from Bongwe Investments Proprietary Limited to Mnangagwa as chairman of the regional bloc, on behalf of the region's Heads of State and Government.
Prior to its handover, the edifice was under management through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Agreement involving SADC, Bongwe Investments (Proprietary) Limited as the private party and the Botswana government as a guarantor to the PPP arrangement.
Mnangagwa and newly-elected former opposition leader Boko will proceed to preside over the grounding-breaking ceremony of the Regional Logistics Depot at Rasesa village, located about 40km from Gaborone.
The RLD will serve as a storage for materials, equipment and end-user stocks for use by the SADC Standby Force when undertaking mandated peace support and humanitarian missions.
