Botswanan President Duma Boko (L) shakes hands with Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of Zimbabwe and current chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), during the handover ceremony of SADC headquarters building, in Gaborone, Botswana, on Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
GABORONE, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of Zimbabwe and current chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Duma Boko, president of Botswana, on Friday officially received the SADC headquarters building in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, on behalf of the SADC heads of state and the Botswanan government.
The building was designed, built, and managed under a public-private partnership agreement between the SADC, Bongwe Investments Proprietary Limited, and Botswana.
During the handover ceremony, Mnangagwa said the building symbolizes good cooperation and unity among member states.
"The SADC house stands as a towering symbol of solidarity, unity, freedom, and independence, and most importantly, brings us together as a region," Mnangagwa said.
He praised Botswana for giving the property on which the SADC Secretariat offices are built, emphasizing that the enabling environment allows the secretariat to successfully carry out its mandate.
Boko reiterated Botswana's commitment to the SADC regional integration and the African continent as a whole, adding that the decision to allocate land to the SADC for its operations demonstrates the region's commitment to fostering peace and security. ■
