President Mugabe arrived in Mauritius yesterday to join other African leaders attending the inaugural African Economic Platform Summit that opens today.
He was welcomed at the Ramgoolam International Airport by the Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and other senior Government officials.Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the Acting President.
President Mugabe who has destroyed the economy of Zimbabwe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs Miriam Chikukwa, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Chris Mushohwe, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Edgar Mbwembwe, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, service chiefs and other senior Government officials.
The AEP is a brainchild of the African Union that provides a stage for frank engagements between African Heads of State and Government, captains of industry and academics on the future of the continent.
AEP was formally launched at the 27th AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda in 2016 and it also seeks to mobilise alternative resources towards the achievement of the continental developmental blueprint, Agenda 2063.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi told The Herald that the Mauritian summit was a high level meeting that seeks to come up with implementation strategies for
continental economic growth.
The summit, he said, was important as Agenda 2063 was pioneered by President Mugabe during his tenure as the African Union and Sadc chairman and in many respects, the continental blueprint resonated with the country’s Zim-Asset.
“Africa has embarked on an economic blueprint, Agenda 2063 that was pioneered by His Excellency the President during his tenure as AU and Sadc chairman,” he said.
The first 10-year-plan of the Agenda 2063 was also adopted during President Mugabe’s tenure.
As part of the implementation of this continental economic blueprint, it has been decided to establish the Africa Economic Platform which brings together Governments, the private sector, academia and the civil society.
“Agenda 2063, just like our Zim-Asset, cannot be achieved by Governments alone. It has to involve all these other stakeholders.