HIGHLIGHTS on the 2026 ASC AfCFTA Centre International Conference,

2026 ASC AfCFTA International Conference Held At Heritage Village Harare Ushers Zimbabwe To Upper Middle Income*

The legacy reclamation efforts on the Transformative AfCFTA education and academic frontier saw the Africa Change Development Studies Institute / ASC AfCFTA Studies Centre hold its 6th Annual Transformative AfCFTA International Conference at the Heritage Village in Harare 1-2 October, 2026.

Held at the Institute of African Knowledge, Museum of African Liberation (INSTAK MAL), Heritage Village, Liberation City, Warren Park Harare, Zimbabwe, the conference was well attended, attracting a combined audience of local and international scholars, researchers, businesses, government ministries, senior citizens and former ministers, liberation heroes, academia and students interested in the Africa Legacy Reclamation Efforts as we head for the Africa Agenda 2063 expiry phase in 37 years from the current 2026 year.

*Mission:* Educate and research, Teach and Train, Resource mobilization, Consultancy and Advocating transformative AfCFTA digitally driven rural-urban - resettled communities' industrialization and transformation in Zimbabwe, Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa in step with a digitally advancing global village.

Contact: 2305 K Norton: godchik@ac-dsiasc-afcfta.org : +263 773378014 : info@ac-dsiasc-afcfta.org Web page: https://sites.google.com/www.ac-dsiasc-afcfta.org/ac-dsiasc-afcfta-org/home. Registered under Companies and Other Business Entities Act. Chapter 24:31: 8th August 2024: 11421A0282024.

*Key Theme:* AfCFTA driven industrialization, integration cooperation and transformation of marginalized rural-urban and resettled communities in Zimbabwe, Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa in step with a digitally advancing global village.

*Sessions:*

Day One: Open Prayer; Introductions; Guest of Honor and Keynote Address; Education and Research; Public Policy, Governance and Transformation.

Day Two: Open Prayer; Introductions; Education, Teaching and Training, Multidisciplinary, Innovation, Peace and Transformation; Development cooperation, aid, local and international donor community; AI, ICT, Innovation, Nuclear and Space Technology, Monitoring and Evaluation; Outstanding Multisector Issues, Transformation Trends and 2063 AfCFTA projections; ASC AfCFTA Studies Centre: Progressing into the future; Resolutions; Host closing remarks: INSTAK MAL Director; Closing Prayer.

*Keynotes:*

Host INSTAK MAL Executive Director Honorable Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi delivered welcome remark accentuating historic pan African legacy reclamation essence.

Hon Ambassador Cairn Mathema, former minister of Primary and Secondary Education and revolutionary cadre, keynote focused on principle of property ownership, theoretical and practical meaning of legacy reclamation mantra "Nyika inovakwa, igotongwa igonamatigwazve nevene vayo" with English equivalent "Nations are built, ruled/governed and blessed/prayed for by their native citizens" as pronounced by HE President Comrade Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

Honorable Minister MP Dr Jenfan Muswere blessed the Conference by sending his special envoy Mr Matorera from the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development who delivered well prepared presentation highlighting essence of increasing working relations between government industry and academia to adequately address skills development programs as key to transformation, empowerment and ownership of means of production. Special envoy accentuated need for consolidating Brain Gain to reverse Brain Drain; upholding Youth are a Security Matter who must be urgently equipped with skills; skills must be developed in Supply-Demand model through identification of skills starved areas.

*Agro Contributions:*

Moreblessing Mudoti Tinapi lecturer (Marondera Horticulture Research Institute MHRI) presented on "effects of relict bio-fertilizer on onion (allium cepa) production in Zimbabwe" — potential for commercialization and value addition for marketing locally and exports within AfCFTA.

Egness Mukapa lecturer MHRI presented “Comparative analysis of Guano (bat manure) cattle manure and vermicompost on growth and yield parameters of butternut (Cucurbita moschata) in Zimbabwe.”

Molly Chifamba PhD candidate and administrator with Bindura University of Science Education presented on "Precision mining as a pathway to environmental conservation and protection in Zimbabwe's artisanal and small-scale mining sector" — emphasizing urgency of transitioning from general reckless mining culture to use of Precision Mining Tools guided by knowledge of suspected occurrence of mineral deposits, scientific verification and targeted excavation.

Other contributions: Professor Tichaona Mapolisa and Professor Ignatius Dambudzo from Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU); Mr B J Mukwena development cooperation specialist; Robert Mugadza on tourism and creation; Narleek Muketiwa Chikowore on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) strongly suggesting methodological foundations of research and policy advocacy for transformative AfCFTA have to be essentially AI based; Colonel Godknows Vakayi of Zimbabwe Defense University and University of Zimbabwe; Dr Jerry Bvirindi private consultant — all acknowledged primacy of digital technology.

Founder and Director Professor (Fellow) Dr G Chikowore and Co-Founder and Deputy Director Dr Manasa Sibanda presented on "Transformative AfCFTA: Overcoming development disparities through AfCFTA driven industrialization programs through to 2063" and “Analyzing socioeconomic growth and development essence of the AfCFTA as a new millennium African Union flagship program.”

*Resolutions Adopted:*

- Expanding fundraising and resources mobilization landscape locally and globally

- Activating teaching and training on Transformative AfCFTA locally and globally

- Activating consultancy program

- Increasing AI driven training for short medium- and long-term cross sector programs

- Increasing partnership with development players

- Publishing Special Conference Transformative AfCFTA Edition

- Fund raising for land purchase and ASC AfCFTA Centre Headquarters construction

- Enlightening Summer and Winter School; Transformation Summit; Resources Mobilization and Fundraising home and abroad