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Bongani Ndlovu, [email protected]

MALAWI President Lazarus Chakwera has praised his Zimbabwean counterpart President Mnangagwa for hosting the Transform Africa Summit saying it will be the impetus for the rise of the continent.

President Chakwera was speaking during the Transform Africa Summit held in the resort town of Victoria Falls this afternoon.

The summit is Africa’s leading annual forum bringing together global and regional leaders as well as digital experts to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating and sustaining Africa’s ongoing digital revolution.

This year it is being held under the theme: “Connect, Innovate and Transform.

President Chakwera said Africa’s development had for a long time been held back by wars, but there is a new scramble for Africa by the West and East as they fight to control strategic minerals.

He praised President Mnangagwa for hosting the summit saying it will be a catalyst to rise as a continent.

“We have been left behind in development as a continent in areas of agriculture, mining, etc and to catch up with the West we have to take a ‘shortcut’ as a continent,” said President Chakwera.

He stressed the need for the continent to work extra hard by taking advantage of technology to develop the continent.

President Chakwera concluded his speech by saying Africa must rise as a continent together and now.

The Transform Africa Summit kicked off this morning, 26 April, in Victoria Falls with over 3 000 local and international guests attending.

President Mnangagwa hosted four Heads of State, among them King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia. – Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi