Staff ReporterThe African Union (AU) Commission has signed a cooperation agreement with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) that endorsed the organisation as a specialised agency of the continental body, in fulfilment of a resolution passed by the assembly last year.
The ACBF was established 27 years ago and is now Africa’s leading organisation for capacity building.
It also promotes institutional capacity for the continent’s sustainable development.
In 2017 during the 28th AU Summit, the assembly resolved to grant the status of specialised agency to the ACBF and the Pan African Women’s Organisation.
AU Commission Chairperson, Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat and ACBF Executive Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Nnadozie solidified the resolution by signing a cooperation agreement.
The Zimbabwean government was represented by Ambassador Albert Ranganai Chimbindi, while Malawian and the Ghanaian ambassadors to Zimbabwe also graced the occasion.
Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Mahamat paid tribute to the work being done by the ACBF but stressed the importance of being self financing if the continent is to achieve targets set in the AU Agenda 2063.
Mr Nnadozie said they are carrying out programmes to support Africa’s re-engagement with the rest of the world and to date, they have invested over US$700 million in capacity development programmes in 45 African countries.
Meanwhile, Mr Mahamat today toured one of the regional internet exchange points in the SADC region, which is housed in Zimbabwe.
The country was awarded a US$200 000 grant from the AU Commission towards the first phase of setting up a regional internet exchange point and so far, less than half of the amount has been availed to Zimbabwe.
“We have so far utilised about US$80 000 of the grant to install an internet exchange point, which allows local networks to connect via the exchange rather than through foreign networks,” the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Cyber Security, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira said.
From TelOne, the AU Commission Chairperson visited the National Heroes Acre in the company of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Retired Lieutenant General Sibusiso Moyo and some senior government officials.
Resident Curator at the national shrine, Ms Rumbidzai Bvira took the Mr Mahamat and members of his team through artistic works which depict the country’s liberation struggle.
Thereafter, Mr Mahamat toured the graves of the late veteran nationalists, among them Cde Herbert Chitepo, Cde Josiah Magama Tongogara, Former Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo and the first heroine to be buried at the National Heroes Acre Cde Sally Mugabe, among others.
