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Leonard Ncube
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KING Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini landed in Victoria Falls yesterday evening to become the first Head of State to arrive ahead of the Transform Africa Summit (TAS) that starts this morning.

The king and his delegation landed at around 6.30pm and they were welcomed by song and dance performed by a traditional dance group.

He was welcomed by Foreign Affairs and International Affairs Minister Ambassador Friderick Shava, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira, Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri and Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere, service chiefs and other Government officials.
King Mswati stopped briefly to watch the dance group perform, before being whisked away.

King Mswati III of Eswatini shares a lighter moment with Ministers Shava and Muchinguri Kashiri upon his arrival at Victoria Falls International Airport last night

He will join other Heads of State that are expected to arrive this morning, for the 6th edition of (TAS), before heading to Bulawayo where he is expected to officially open the 63rd edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on Friday.

President Mnangagwa is expected to host King Mswati, Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia and Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe of Togo at the conference. Serbia deputy Prime Minister Sinisa Mali, 40 ministers, and scores of executives of leading financial institutions in Africa will join over 3 000 delegates from over 100 countries at the TAS.

The three-day summit is an annual forum that brings together global and regional leaders from government, business, and international organisations to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating, and sustaining Africa’s ongoing digital revolution.

It is running under the theme: “Connect, Innovate and Transform,” and it’s the first time the event is being held outside Rwanda which hosted the previous five editions.

Zimbabwe was selected to host the high-level event against bids from other 36 members of the Smart Africa Alliance.

Zimbabwe won the bid because it is an active member that is leading the continental Agri-Tech blueprint.

By hosting the event, Zimbabwe places itself on the right trajectory in the fourth industrial revolution as the country aims to achieve its national goals through utilisation of ICTs.

The conference rubber-stamps Zimbabwe’s digital economic agenda which also feeds into Vision 2030 implemented through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

Briefly speaking at the Victoria Falls Airport, Dr Muswere said the summit is an important moment for Zimbabwe.

“We expect about 40 ministers and we are still receiving them ahead of this important summit which will have Heads of State as we have received his royal majesty from Eswatini,” he said.

He could not be drawn into giving details of ministers that had arrived.

Earlier in the day, innovators had pre-events such as the Council of African Regulators and investment forum with discussions around the need to speed up connectivity and digital transformation in the continent.  A number of Memoranda of Understanding will be signed at the summit.  — @ncubeleon