Harare gets a shine ahead of SADC summit

The Zimbabwean Government has spent more than R3.8bn giving Harare a facelift in preparation for next month’s two-day SADC meeting. With new roads, villas, luxury coaches and trees, Zimbabwe is pulling out all stops to host the 44th ordinary SADC summit of heads of state and government in mid-August. News24 reports that the summit is due to see President Emmerson Mnangagwa take over the leadership of the regional bloc from Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema. ‘I commend the government and people of our country who are accelerating preparations and works related to the event,’ Mnangagwa said. Zimbabwe last held the chair in 2014 under the late Robert Mugabe when the summit was held in the resort town of Victoria Falls.

See Africa Analyses