All set for Sadc Summit in Vic Falls - Mumbengegwi

The minister of Foreign Affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, on Thursday said all is set for the successful hosting of the regional summit to be held in the resort town of Victoria Falls next week.

The summit will see President Robert Mugabe assuming chairmanship of Sadc.

Giving an update on the preparatory progress made by government towards hosting the summit to ambassadors from the Sadc region in Harare, Mumbengegwi said the country would make use of the infrastructure developed during the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly to ensure the event becomes a success.

"Now that we are not very far from the summit to be held from August 17 to 18, we are very pleased with the support we have received from the corporate sector and the Sadc family.

"Many of you have been involved in preparations to host the summit and we are grateful for the experience we have shared with you," said Mumbengegwi.

"All is now in place in terms of logistics and programme. We will be very grateful if you give us inputs on where we can make some improvements. We have made use of the infrastructure used during the UNWTO general assembly we co-hosted with Zambia last year to ensure the event becomes a success."

He said, as of yesterday, 13 out of 15 member states had confirmed participation at the summit.

"The attendance is quite high with two countries from the region yet to confirm their participation, but we are, however, pleased with the response.

"We have invited chairperson of the African Union (AU) Nkosazana Zuma and other representatives from other parts of the African region," he said

Meanwhile, Mugabe is set to use his Sadc chairmanship to campaign for an end to mass killings of Palestinians by Israel in Gaza, a top government official has said.

Senior minister in the President's office, who is also  Zanu PF chairperson, Simon Khaya Moyo told Palestine ambassador to Zimbabwe, Hashem Dajani, when he paid a courtesy call at his party offices that Zimbabwe would not condone the ongoing mass-killing of women and children in Gaza.

"As you may be aware, in the next few days, (President) Mugabe will take over as Sadc chair and in January he will take over as Africa Union chair, he is going to convey our wishes regarding the peace and sovereignty of the people of Palestine," he said.

Israeli forces have unleashed its militia to intensely bombard Gaza with a justification that it is a "proportionate" response to Hamas attacks.

Dajani presented to Moyo video footage of how "innocent children" were being killed by Israel military while the international community was just watching and not bringing an end to the killings.