Harare, Zimbabwe, 23 May 2019

Zimbabwe President H.E Emerson Mnangagwa has confirmed that his country will join the APRM.

This follows a courtesy visit by the APRM Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Eddy Maloka to the Zimbabwan President on 22 May 2019. Zimbabwe’s intention to accede to the Peer Review Mechanism is line with the AU Assembly Decision.1(XI), adopted at the 11th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2018, that urges AU Member States who have not yet acceded to the APRM to do so in order to achieve universality of membership by 2023.

Prof Maloka delivered the Accession Letter from the APR Forum Chairperson, H.E Idriss Déby to which H.E President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa stated that he will inform the latter of Zimbabwe’s intention to accede to the Mechanism at the next African Union Summit to be held in early 2020. President Mnangagwa informed the APRM Delegation that his government has nothing to hide and is open to collaboration and engagements with stakeholders. H. E Mnangagwa further instructed that Zimbabwe and the APRM should start working on the modalities of the accession and for the APRM Continental Secretariat to provide technical guidance on the process.

Accompanied by Mr. Dalmar Jama, Ms. Delice Zakeyo and Ms. Thato Chabana all from the APRM Continental Secretariat, Prof Eddy Maloka and his team conducted a sensitisation meeting with representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Office of the President, Parliament of Zimbabwe, Ministry of Information, and different Media Houses. The objective of the sensitisation meeting was to enlighten the Government officials on the APRM process and the procedure for accession.