Ten Southern African heads of state are expected in Harare beginning Monday to attend the regional extraordinary summit on industrialization.
But the regional leaders have come under intense criticism for their failure to prioritize xenophobic attacks in South Africa that have caused tensions in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and beyond.
The five-day summit under the theme: “Regional Strategy and Roadmap for Industrialization” opened Saturday, and on Monday, SADC foreign ministers met to begin deliberations.
In her remarks, SADC executive secretary, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax outlined the regional strategy and roadmap for industrialization as prepared by the ministers of industry and commerce in their preparatory meetings.
The host and SADC chiar, President Robert Mugabe, who was in Indonesia attending the Asia Africa Conference, arrived in the country Monday.
Foreign Affairs permanent secretary, Joey Bimha said the summit is underway.
But political analyst and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition regional cordinator, Joy Mabenge, said the leaders must not skirt the issue of xenophobia.