Mnangagwa assumes Comesa vice chairmanship

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has returned to Harare from Nairobi, Kenya, after attending the 24th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit, where Zimbabwe assumed the bloc's vice chairmanship.

The new role positions Zimbabwe to take a front-row seat in shaping COMESA's regional integration and economic cooperation agenda from 2026 to 2027.

During the summit, President Mnangagwa reaffirmed Zimbabwe's commitment to deepening regional trade and investment ties, announcing a raft of business-friendly reforms aimed at improving competitiveness across member states.

"We are cutting bank charges, licensing fees, and levies to enhance the ease of doing business within COMESA," said Mnangagwa, emphasising that such measures would help create a more attractive investment climate for regional entrepreneurs and investors.

The President also highlighted that Zimbabwean companies are increasingly accessing wider regional markets through COMESA trade frameworks.

He noted that thousands of small-scale traders, particularly women, are benefitting from smoother cross-border trade facilitated by COMESA initiatives.

"COMESA's support is helping us strengthen local value chains and promote inclusive growth," he said.

Mnangagwa's participation in the summit underscored Zimbabwe's ongoing efforts to position itself as an active player in regional economic integration, aligning national policies with COMESA's vision of promoting intra-African trade, industrialisation, and investment collaboration.