Nairobi, Kenya — PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived here yesterday ahead of the 24th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Heads of State and Government Summit which opens today.
Zimbabwe is set to assume the position of vice chairperson of COMESA at the end of the summit.
This positions the southern African country to play a leading role in shaping regional economic policy and advancing the continent's integration agenda, a continuation of its success in steering the SADC bloc since last year.
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President Mnangagwa signs the visitors book while flanked by Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi (left), Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi yesterday. President Mnangagwa is in Kenya for the 24th Comesa Heads of State and Government Summit to be held today. -- Picture: Presidential Photographer Tawanda Mudimu.
The summit, being held under the theme: "Leveraging digitalisation to deepen regional value chains for sustainable and inclusive growth", brings together leaders from 21 member states to deliberate on strategies to strengthen intra-African trade and investment.
Comesa is one of the building blocks of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), meaning a lot of the detailed work for rules of origin and other technical details can just be taken over.
Kenya will assume the rotating chairmanship of COMESA from Burundi, with Zimbabwe taking over as vice chair and set to host the next summit, thereby chairing the regional bloc from 2026 to 2027.
President Mnangagwa and other Heads of State will focus discussions on critical areas such as trade and investment, regional integration, sustainable development, infrastructure growth, agriculture and women empowerment.
Among the top priorities is the promotion of intra-African trade through the removal of non-tariff barriers, expansion of market access for goods and services and harmonisation of policies to enhance competitiveness.
Regional integration remains central to Africa's transformation agenda, with leaders expected to explore ways to strengthen cooperation and accelerate the implementation of AfCFTA.
The summit will also examine how digitalisation can drive inclusive growth and economic resilience across member states.
Infrastructure development, particularly in transport and energy, will feature prominently, with focus on boosting cross-border projects to link economies and stimulate trade.
In agriculture, leaders will seek to enhance productivity, promote value addition and ensure the sector's resilience in the face of global economic shocks.
On women's empowerment, the summit will deliberate on expanding opportunities for small and medium enterprises and women-led businesses to promote inclusive economic growth within COMESA.
Yesterday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira attended the COMESA Council of Ministers meeting, where Zimbabwe officially took over the vice chairmanship at the ministerial level.
"President Mnangagwa is here for the Heads of State summit, and today we had a meeting of the Council of Ministers, where we took over the vice chairmanship at the ministerial level.
"After the Heads of State summit, Kenya will be the chair and Zimbabwe the vice chair, and we will lead the bloc from 2026 to 2027," said Prof Murwira.
He added that Zimbabwe remains committed to creating a competitive and business-friendly environment to attract investment and deepen trade ties within the COMESA region.
"Zimbabwe is open for business, reviewing its productivity, bringing down tariffs and non-tariff barriers and reviewing all taxes and licences to promote the ease of doing business.
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President Mnangagwa bids farewell to Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga before his departure for Kenya at Robert Mugabe International Airport yesterday. Looking on are Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, State Security Minister Lovemore Matuke (partly obscured right) and other dignitaries. - Picture: Joseph Manditswara.
"The reduction of tariffs and levies will be critical as we trade with other COMESA members. We hope to increase production and attract more investors," Prof Murwira said.
Zimbabwe's growing leadership role within regional economic blocs such as SADC and COMESA underscores the success of the country's re-engagement and "Open for Business" thrust, positioning it as a key driver of Africa's economic integration and transformation.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa attended a dinner hosted by his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, here last night.
