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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke, Senior Reporter

ACCESS roads leading to the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden have been completed and festooned with flags of Zimbabwe and 15 other SADC member states as the country readies to host the region at a platform where President Mnangagwa will assume the Chairmanship of the regional bloc.

To ensure the availability of sufficient water supply at the venue, the construction of a 2,8-megalitre water reservoir has been completed together with the drilling of 14 boreholes.

Parliament and all other official summit-related venues, inclusive of the country’s international airports, have also been provided with a dedicated stable and high-speed Internet service.

The highly anticipated summit will bring together leaders from the 16-member states to deliberate on key issues affecting the region.

The summit provides a platform for member states to collaborate on regional integration, economic development, and security.

It is anticipated that this year’s meeting will focus on regional trade, infrastructure development, food security and conflict resolution among many other topics.

The SADC Summit is being held under the theme: “Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an Industrialised SADC”.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday presented the state of preparedness for the hosting of the Summit to Cabinet where he confirmed that it was all systems go.

Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said some delegates had already arrived in the country and taken part in some of the proceedings ahead of the main event on Saturday.

“All SADC countries will participate and the Government is ready to host the Summit.  Pertaining to the Summit proceedings, the Executive SADC Secretary arrived in the country on August 6, 2024, and the senior officials’ meetings commenced on August 8, 2024, with Zimbabwe assuming the chairmanship from the outgoing Chair, Angola,” he said.

In preparation for the Summit, the Government has been on a drive to fix all access roads while also ensuring that all accommodation facilities are ready for the delegates.

Dr Muswere said all three main access routes to the venue, the New Parliament Building, were now complete.

These are the Harare-Chirundu Road, the Harare-Kanyemba Road and the New Parliament Road.

“On the Harare-Kanyemba Road, the section between Harare Drive and Eskbank tollgate and Gwebi River Bridge was opened to traffic on August 7, 2024, while the Boulevard was officially opened by His Excellency the President on Friday, August 9, 2024. The construction of the VVIP Lounge at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport was completed and it has been installed with the requisite facilities.  The VVIP Pavilion access road was also completed. Remarking of the Airport Road has been completed, while painting of barriers has also been completed, with damaged kerbstones being replaced and painted.  The re-painting of the Air Zimbabwe hangar is complete,” Dr Muswere said.

He said the hoisting of flags on light poles had also been completed, with most areas along Airport Road and the Central Business District done as well as on Nemakonde Way and Seke Road.

Dr Muswere added that information and publicity infrastructure had been finalised including the Media Centre.

“The City of Harare is seized with the installation of traffic lights at intersections and street lighting of major roads.  The local authority has been directed to speed up work. The beautification of the city is ongoing with work on the Airport Road now complete.  Palm trees, lawn and flowers have been planted along the major access roads,” he said.

With regards to power supply, Dr Muswere said the New Parliament was assured of uninterrupted power following the construction of an 11kV dedicated feeder. Another 4 MVA, 33/11kV transformer was also installed and commissioned.

Parliament and all other official Summit-related venues, inclusive of the country’s international airports, have also been provided with a dedicated stable and high-speed internet service.

“In terms of accommodation, all the designated facilities have been finalised. Medical facilities have been set up at Parliament, and more clinics will be opened and equipped with ambulances and fire tenders properly positioned to ferry patients,” said Dr Muswere.

He said preparations for the 7th SADC Public Lecture at the University of Zimbabwe today, have been done with all four external panellists having confirmed receiving their official invitations.

Exhibitors had also set up their exhibitions while interpretation equipment had been put in place as the event would be livestreamed on national media and social media platforms.

“The entertainment and excursions sub-committee is ready for the Summit, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe has mounted an exhibition of artefacts from 14 SADC countries that are part of the permanent collection, under the title “Innovate SADC: Transformation in Southern Africa through the Arts” which will be officially opened on 15 August, 2024,” Dr Muswere said.

Zimbabwe last held the SADC chairmanship in 2015. The country is expected to leverage its position to strengthen regional co-operation and promote economic growth.