Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina on Monday officially commissioned the 8-kilometre Ambodifasina–Ambohimanga segment of a strategic 260-kilometre highway linking the capital Antananarivo to Toamasina, the country’s main port.
The ceremony, attended by fellow Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders – including Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, King Mswati III of Eswatini, Lesotho Prime Minister Samuel Matekane and SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi – took place in the presence of thousands of citizens and government officials.
According to Malagasy authorities, this strategic infrastructure should significantly reduce travel time between Antananarivo and Toamasina, facilitating trade, stimulating
the economy, and strengthening the country’s attractiveness to investors.
The event comes on the heels of the 45th Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held on 17 August in Antananarivo under the theme: “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC.”
Rajoelina took over from Mnangagwa as SADC chairperson during the summit. He will be in charge of the 16-member regional bloc until August 2026 when he is expected to hand over to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.
AC/Sf/fss/jn/APA