Zvamaida Murwira in MALABO, Equatorial Guinea
SADC Chairperson President Mnangagwa is expected in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea today to attend the 7th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM), where he will join fellow African leaders tomorrow in defining the strategic direction of the Union for the coming year.
The meeting has been preceded by the 47th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU composed of Foreign Affairs Ministers.
The 7th AU Mid-Year Co-ordination meeting brings together the AU Assembly Bureau, which comprises Heads of State and Government, chairpersons of the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs), senior officials of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the continental body’s specialised agencies and other institutional partners.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira is already here and attended the 47th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council as Chairperson of the Sadc Council of Ministers that started on Thursday and ended yesterday.
Pan-African Parliament president, Chief Fortune Charumbira, is also in Malabo as the continental legislative Assembly is a creature of the AU and seeks to entrench democratic values in Africa.
In an interview, Prof Murwira confirmed President Mnangagwa’s attendance, saying he will join his colleagues in mapping the future of the African continent.
“We, as Ministers of Foreign Affairs, are preparing for their Excellencies to come and hold their summit on the 13th of July where they are focusing on various issues,” said Prof Murwira.
“But right now, we are preparing for His Excellency the President Dr ED Mnangagwa, who is coming here as Chairperson of the SADC region to come and sit with his colleagues and map the way forward for this continent.
“We are very positive that Africa, through this, will do well (and) is going to do well, and we have demonstrated that it has done well through unity in several areas of endeavour.
“So, we are really optimistic and we are looking forward to a better Africa through our efforts.”
The meeting, to be held tomorrow, plays a pivotal role in aligning continental and regional priorities, assessing the implementation of Agenda 2063 and promoting effective integration between the AU and its regional mechanisms.
It comes at a time when African leaders are preoccupied with renewed emphasis on internal consolidation and global positioning.
Some of the issues for consideration include review and adoption of the Draft 2026 AU Budget amid persistent challenges with member States’ contributions and finalisation of the AU’s Partnership Strategy to streamline engagement with multilateral and development partners.
There will also be a mid-term evaluation of the AU’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations”.
The Mid-Year Coordination meeting has evolved into a cornerstone of AU institutional coordination.
With only 17 countries implementing the AU’s 0,2 percent import levy to fund continental activities, budget discussions this year will be crucial.
Other issues to come up for discussion relate to justice, reparations and inclusive governance, where leaders will reflect on progress made in the first half of the thematic year.
Deliberations from the meeting will shape continental governance priorities ahead of the February 2026 AU Summit.
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