{{Zimbabwe’s foreign affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi says his country is ready to host the 34th SADC summit to be held in Victoria Falls next month. }} <\/p>\n
The minister, according to video footage posted on YouTube by The Herald, said preparations were on track and “everything will be in place by the time that the summit is held”. <\/p>\n
A report by the News Day, however, said President Robert Mugabe’s cash-strapped government was banking on financial support from the private and corporate sectors to host the summit.<\/p>\n
The summit which kicks off on 8 August will be held under the theme: SADC Strategy for Economic Transformation: Leveraging the Region\u2019s Diverse Resources for Sustainable Economic and Social Development through Beneficiation and Value Addition.<\/p>\n
Mumbengegwi said the theme was selected “very very carefully” because Zimbabwe believed strongly in the importance of beneficiating and value adding of natural resources.<\/p>\n
He said Mugabe had never stopped talking about the issue of the importance of natural resources and how Africa, as a continent should benefit from them.<\/p>\n
Mumbengegwi decried the continued exportation of Africa’s natural resources in their raw form, a situation he said saw the continent benefiting only 10% of the value of the products. <\/p>\n
{click to watch video}