Hichilema to join regional leaders in Harare as COMESA hands chairmanship from Kenya to Zimbabwe

President Hakainde Hichilema will travel to Harare, Zimbabwe, for the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit of Heads of State and Government on Thursday 22 October, Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe has announced. The summit is hosted by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa under the theme "One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA." It will see Kenya's President William Ruto hand over the chairmanship to Mr Mnangagwa. The new bureau will have Zimbabwe as chair, Eswatini as vice-chair and Kenya as rapporteur. Mr Ruto, who took over from Burundi's Evariste Ndayishimiye in 2025, arrived in Harare on Wednesday evening. Leaders of the 21-member bloc are expected to discuss regional integration, peace and security, implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, industrialisation and adding value to Africa's natural resources. In a statement issued in Lusaka, Mr Haimbe said Mr Hichilema's attendance reflects Zambia's commitment to regional economic integration and the Grow Zambia Agenda, which focuses on growth, trade and investment. "As host of the COMESA Secretariat, Zambia remains firmly committed to the objectives and ideals of COMESA," he said. The President is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines to discuss trade, investment and Zambia's development priorities. ## Why it matters COMESA exists to make it cheaper and easier to trade between member countries, and Zambia, which sells copper and maize across the region, has a direct interest in how the bloc handles tariffs, border rules and industrial investment. Traders at border posts and farmers who sell grain to neighbouring countries feel those decisions first. Zambia also hosts the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka, so the choice of chair and the bloc's priorities shape the work of an institution on Zambian soil. ## What happens next The summit takes place on Thursday, with the