The Sunday Mail
Farirai Machivenyika in MASVINGO
THE Second Republic recognises the important role Zimbabwe’s diaspora has in the development of the country and is ready to listen to their proposals and work with them, President Mnangagwa has said.
He said this in a keynote speech read on his behalf by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava at the second edition of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Investment Conference and Homecoming Event in Masvingo yesterday.
The diaspora community remitted US$1,8 billion in 2023, up from US$1,6 billion in 2022.
“Every Zimbabwean, whether living abroad or at home, has something to offer in our quest to achieve sustainable socio-economic development, growth and a higher quality of life for our people,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Indeed, together as Zimbabweans, within and outside our borders, we can build our country to attain the goals and aspirations of the Second Republic as enshrined in the national vision of attaining an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030.”
President Mnangagwa briefed the diaspora community on various reforms that the Government had taken to facilitate investment and cut red tape.
“Among the reforms, Government has fully operationalised the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), which has been at the forefront of improving efficiency on the investment front to promote the ease of doing business in the country,” he said.
“Investment approvals, which previously took up to several months to secure, can now be approved in not more than five working days as a result of the adoption of the ZIDA One-Stop-Shop approach.”
President Mnangagwa informed the conference of the national projects that the Government was implementing to enhance energy security, accelerate infrastructural development, improve road connectivity and food security.
“These reforms, programmes and projects, therefore, present an opportunity for our diaspora to partner Government in development initiatives in the various sectors,” he said.
“As Government, we are ready to listen to your proposals on how you can participate in these and other projects.
“Let me also assure you that the Second Republic has embraced the principle of inclusivity, hence we tenaciously believe in moving together in the spirit of leaving ‘no place and no one behind’.”
The President commended Zimbabweans living abroad for forming associations to engage the Government and other stakeholders in a structured manner.
“In this regard, Cabinet approved a whole-of-government approach to diaspora issues through the setting up of a high-level Cabinet working party of officials on diaspora engagement to handle diaspora issues,” President Mnangagwa added.
The committee, he also said, was mandated to consult and institute a cocktail of strategies to promote and protect the welfare and interests of the diaspora, while also availing them space and opportunities to take part in the socio-economic development of the country.
President Mnangagwa said the working party had been undertaking benchmarking visits to selected countries to learn best practices in promoting diaspora cooperation in national development.
To date, visits have been undertaken to Canada, Ethiopia, India, Ireland and Nigeria.
The President said views gathered will be incorporated into the National Diaspora Policy that is being reviewed
