The Sunday Mail
Cleophas Pedzisa
February 9-14, 2018 is a period National Assembly representative for Buhera North Cde Joseph Chinotimba will always reflect on with much pleasure.
“Chinoz” is representing his constituency’s “Community of Friends” initiative and Zimbabwe as Ambassador of Happiness in Dubai.
That he flew aboard Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines or any other airline must have given his family, Parliament and the wider nation a great feeling as he participates in a new phenomenon, Parliamentary Diplomacy.
Ambassadorial training
The Global Dialogue for Happiness — a curtain-raiser to the World Government Summit — is taking place in Dubai.
The dialogue brings together happiness experts, government officials and representatives of international organisations to explore methods of ensuring humankind’s happiness.
The dialogue has various topics such as stimulating policies of happiness, measuring happiness, the science of happiness and achieving happiness in cities.
The outcome will be compiled into a manual that will help governments raise their citizens’ happiness. Zimbabwe’s section of that report is anxiously awaited.
Chinoz the man
This is not Cde Chinotimba’s first excursion outside Zimbabwe’s borders.
If you converse with him for just 10 minutes, he will retrace his steps to Romania where he received military training during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
That he is a hard worker both in Buhera North and in the august House is well-articulated elsewhere.
Lloyd Gumbo, during his stint at The Herald, had concise pieces on this, and the Hansard is ample testimony to Chinoz’s robust interventions and responses.
Many people know him for the distinctive comedy that underlies many of his public pronouncements.
Here is Chinoz during one of the worst droughts to hit Buhera, “Vanhu vane nzara, mapere ane nzara (People are starving and so are the hyenas).”
Some will also remember his “Copolo” jibe in reference to Marcopolo buses and his starring role in Zimpapers Television Network’s comedy “Pachiteshi”.
Now, he is joining the diplomatic community as Ambassador of Happiness. That should be a warning shot to those in Zimbabwe’s diplomatic service!
Chinoz could take up another ambassadorial post in the near future!
Albatross on the fiscus
Yearly, Zimbabwe’s National Budget statements have spoken about having 46 foreign missions when the nation-state is already burdened by a recurrent budget deficit. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa says “diplomatic presence is imposing annual budget support levels of around US$65 million, which is far above available capacity”.
It is heartening that, “pursuant to this, His Excellency, the President, has approved the downsizing of our diplomatic missions, taking account of our current economic environment and affordability principles”.
It is thus my considered view that this pragmatic programme of action should be done now, not then. Our diplomats dotted across the globe should justify their existence out there.
We are conscious of the plight that they have faced in the past and are conscious that, with the new dispensation, life will never be the same again.
Business unusual
The new dispensation calls for immediate action with regards to seeking and opening up investment opportunities.
It is easy to elicit certain quarters across the globe where our embassies are doing real work as opposed to those in hiatus.
Our emissaries should begin jogmanship towards investment opportunities in the serious manner that Chinoz takes his ambassadorial and parliamentary representative roles.
It is only a question of time before the larger populace will begin to question who is doing what in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and other regions.
Long gone should be the days when our emissaries are only recognised at strategic meetings in Harare during their annual vacation.
Or, at times, when they are making efforts to repatriate “bodies of the deceased”.
Yes, of course, they should be doing this as part of their work-plan.
Our diplomats everywhere should continuously be sending economic policy briefs and feedback from all quarters as indicated above.
Even those serving near Mars, Jupiter; wherever should be bringing socio-economic briefs for the good of the nation.
There is no time to waste.
It is only a question of time before President Mnangagwa and Dr SB Moyo begin to count hits (investments-wise) from diplomatic quarters.
Tenure
We are all aware of the tag that our diplomats have received; that because of “Executive Capture” in the previous administration, certain appointments could have escaped due diligence and interrogation attendant to such postings.
Diplomats should justify that their presence in those foreign countries is by merit.
Those who have overstayed out there should be able to volunteer returning home to share with us their long-drawn experience in foreign lands.
It is a question of time before, in the same vein as investment, people will bring to the fore the question which begs an answer: how long has one stayed in that quarter?
In my reading into diplomacy, I stumbled on advantages of having a diplomat staying in a posting for a long time.
They can learn the language, politics and national temperament of the host nation.
Other advantages include ensuring more personal acquaintances and reducing costs of relocation. In our situation, some names have become synonymous with certain missions.
A mission that exceeds five years leaves our colleagues becoming too emotionally involved in host countries and will thus be unable to advise us back home in a detached manner.
That is precisely why HE Joseph Chinotimba will be in Dubai for less than two weeks. He needs to be continuously in sync with events back home.
