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Blessings Chidakwa

Harare Bureau

TANGIBLE development taking place in the country under the Second Republic is attracting plaudits worldwide and President Mnangagwa, the transformation champion, is now hogging the limelight with Egypt inviting him for a high level meeting to tackle developmental issues on the continent.

As Zimbabwe continues to make headway in its engagement and re-engagement policy, President Mnangagwa will join fellow African leaders at the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh from 22-26 May.

The summit is expected to focus on engaging the private sector in development and green transformation in all the African countries. 

It is also taking place at a time when the AfDB is working with Zimbabwe to champion its debt and arrears clearance.

Speaking after extending a special invitation to the summit to the President at State House in Harare yesterday, Egyptian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Salwa Mowafi, said President Mnangagwa is among top dignitaries expected to participate in the AfDB Annual Meetings.

Ambassador Mowafi said he was honoured that President Mnangagwa accepted to be part of the AfDB meetings.

“We are looking forward to this very important participation from Zimbabwe.  This year it’s hosted in Egypt, the critical thing is that most of the African leaders are meeting together and discussing all the issues related to development.

“It is very important because this year there will be a special emphasis on the private sector, engaging the private sector in development and green transformation in all the African countries,” she said.

Ambassador Mowafi said these are very important steps  for Africa and they look forward to very excellent deliberations during the course of the event.

Zimbabwe and Egypt maintain a long-standing mutually beneficial relationship.

In December 2022, the Zimbabwean Government established a structured dialogue platform with all creditors and development partners, to institutionalise structured dialogue on economic and governance reforms to underpin the arrears clearance and debt resolution process.

Speaking during the recently high-level debt resolution forum held in Harare and addressed by President Mnangagwa, AfDB leader Dr Akinwumi Adesina commended the Government of Zimbabwe for attempting to clear its debt.

“The people of Zimbabwe and the international community will be watching very closely. The full weight of re-engagement with the international community will depend on this.

“It will also depend not just on the election, but the entire electoral process that guarantees a credible election,” he said.

Dr Adesina further emphasised the need for stakeholders to ensure that there is concrete and measurable progress on the Zimbabwe  Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zdera), which is critical for re-engagement with the United States and could be used to support advocacy for the lifting of select sanctions imposed by the US Congress.