Staff Reporter
President Mnangagwa has declared that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) possesses all the resources necessary to transform itself into a global economic powerhouse.
Addressing delegates at the 7th SADC Summit Public Lecture at the University of Zimbabwe today, President Mnangagwa emphasized that the region’s rich resource base, resilient population, and strategic advantages provide the foundation for sustainable development and prosperity.
“SADC has unique opportunities that position us for success. We have all the requirements to become an economic powerhouse on the global arena,” President Mnangagwa asserted, highlighting the region’s vast arable land, abundant mineral resources, favourable climate, and rich cultural heritage.
The President called on SADC member states to unlock the value of these shared resources, stressing that the path to development lies in harnessing the region’s natural and human capital.
President Mnangagwa underscored the importance of SADC leveraging its collective strengths to achieve economic independence and reduce dependency on external forces.
“We must never play second fiddle in the arena of international economic relations,” he declared.
President Mnangagwa urged the region to boldly address disparities in socio-economic development by focusing on producing goods and services that meet both local and global demands.
The President reiterated that SADC’s development must be driven by its people, for its people.
“A country is built, governed, and prayed for, by its people,” he said.
He emphasized that the days of relying on external aid and imported goods must come to an end, and that SADC’s future lies in the hands of its own citizens.
“The current generation of SADC citizens should take deliberate steps to exit perpetual dependency,” President Mnangagwa stated, calling for a renewed focus on local innovation and production.
President Mnangagwa further stressed the importance of transforming the region’s education and research systems to support this vision.
He called for an education system that is aligned with the region’s development goals, producing skilled innovators and industrialists who can drive the region’s modernization and industrialization.
“With the correct configuration of our education, innovation, science, and technology ecosystems, we can unlock maximum value from our natural resources and human capacities,” he said.
The President urged SADC member states to embrace their potential and work collectively towards a future of shared prosperity.
Meanwhile, the SADC Public Lecture was attended by a distinguished array of delegates from outside the country, including SADC Executive Secretary Elias Mpedi Magosi.
The event also saw the presence of Zimbabwe's two Vice Presidents, General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Colonel (Rtd) Kembo Mohadi, along with several Ministers and other high-profile delegates, underscoring the significance of the public lecture.
