.SCOTT

VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott will be among several leaders to attend the 34th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled to open here tomorrow.

The Vice-President is expected to arrive in the resort Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls today at 14:00 hours.

According to a programme released to the media by the SADC Secretariat, Dr Scott will tomorrow join other Heads of State and Government at the official opening of the summit at the Elephant Hills Resort.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will officially open the summit under the theme ‘SADC strategy for economic transformation: Leveraging the region’s diverse resources for sustainable economic and social development through beneficiation and value-addition’.

President Mugabe would take over the chairmanship of the regional body from Malawi’s Peter Mutharika, who is also expected to give his maiden and keynote speech to the summit following his election as new president of that country last May.

Meanwhile, at least 12 Heads of State and Government are expected to start arriving for the summit in Victoria Falls town today to discuss topical issues affecting the regional grouping, including financing to key projects like the Kariba dam and tackling poverty issues that threaten millions of people due to droughts in some parts of the region.

The 34th SADC Summit is also expected to consider the SADC Regional Strategy on Food and Nutrition that should go a long way in ensuring that there is adequate food supply in the region.

The SADC presidents expected to arrive today for the two-day meeting include Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Professor Mutharika and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Others are Hery Rajonarimampianina of Madagascar, Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba, Seretse Khama Ian Khama of Botswana, Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and Heads of Governments from Seychelles and Mauritius.

President Mugabe is also expected to host a State banquet for the SADC Heads of State and Government tomorrow evening before officially closing the meeting on Monday.

Meanwhile, First Ladies of the SADC region will hold a one-day meeting on the sidelines of the summit, whose outcome would be presented to the Heads of State and Government.

Other key note speakers expected during the summit are Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank which provides colossal financing to projects in the region, and chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. – ZANIS