Harare - President João Lourenço has been in Harare since late Friday morning, as part of the 44th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), scheduled for Saturday, August 17.
João Lourenço arrived at Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare, accompanied by the Angolan First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço.
The Saturday's meeting will take place on the premises of the new Zimbabwean Parliament building, 25 kilometers from the city center of Harare, in a ceremony that begins with the singing of the anthems of Zimbabwe, SADC and the African Union (AU).
Before the intervention of the Angolan Head of State, who will deliver the main speech, as the organization's outgoing president, the executive secretary, Elias Mpedi Magosi, and the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnagagwa, take the stage.
Magosi will deliver an introductory speech at the opening session of the event, while Mnagagwa will deliver the welcome and closing speeches as host and next acting president of the organization.
Interventions are also planned by the executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, and the President of Namibia, Nangolo Mbumba.
The debates' kick off will be preceded by the announcement of the winners of the regional competitions for Writing for Secondary Schools (2023 edition), Writing for Higher Education Institutions and SADC Journalism.
The Angola President speech will be followed by the ceremony of handing over the badge of Chairperson of SADC to the Head of State of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnagagwa.
Saturday's session will also be marked by the signing of legal instruments by the Heads of State and Government, with cultural and musical entertainment from a choral group from the host country, before the reading of the final communiqué. IZ/ADR/CF/DOJ
