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ZIMBABWE will next week play host to the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit that will be held in Harare on August 17 and 18. Government has said preparations for the Summit, which include among other works, roads rehabilitation and upgrading of accommodation and conference facilities have been completed. There are however attempts by the country’s detractors to throw spanner in the works hence the stepped up efforts to peddle falsehoods about Zimbabwe ahead of the Summit. 

President Mnangagwa has said these efforts by foreign elements to sow seeds of discord in SADC will come to naught as Zimbabwe will next week deliver a unique and memorable Sadc Summit much to the chagrin of the country’s detractors. 

President Mnangagwa who was addressing mourners at the burial of General (Rtd) Cde Makhethi Ndebele at the National Heroes Acre on Monday, said Zimbabwe will not be deterred or discouraged by fruitless attempts to derail the 44th SADC Summit. 

“Presently, there are concerted efforts to reverse the gains of our protracted liberation struggle. These attacks take many forms, including peddling falsehoods about our country,” said President Mnangangwa. 

He said it was a shame that there is a deliberate and foreign-funded campaign, which is void of the evident and unprecedented success milestones the nation is witnessing across every facet of society and the economy. 

“We shall never be deterred or discouraged. We are marching forward ever, backwards never,” said President Mnangangwa.

What is encouraging is that many of those in the Sadc region are aware of the developments taking place in Zimbabwe and will therefore not be swayed by those peddling falsehoods. 

Last year, Government invited a group of journalists and entertainment personalities from the SADC region for a tour of the country and they said after the tour that they were impressed by the development projects being initiated by the Second Republic across the country. 

The members of the Fourth Estate said there were strong indications that Zimbabwe will soon be an economic powerhouse in the region.  

The “True Zimbabwe Tour” was organised by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and supported by mining giant, Africa Chrome Fields. 

The journalists said their visit had dispelled the negative image of the country portrayed in some sections of the international media. 

Those who attended the SADC Industrialisation Week last week, we want to believe, similarly dismissed the falsehoods about Zimbabwe being peddled by some international media and individuals. We want at this juncture to urge citizens to be united and demonstrate their hospitality as we welcome delegates to the SADC Summit.