The Sunday Mail
After presenting his credentials to President Mnangagwa in December last year to mark the commencement of his tour of duty, Malawian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mwayiwayo Mclloyd Polepole (pictured right) undertook to enhance economic ties between the two countries. At the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, Malawi had one of the largest exhibition pavilions among all the foreign exhibitors, a testament to the country’s aggressive drive toward the Zimbabwean market. The Sunday Mail’s Fatima Bulla-Musakwa (FBM) caught up with Ambassador Polepole (MMP) on the margins of the weeklong trade extravaganza, and he spelled out his plan for enhancing economic ties between the two republics.
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FBM: Can you start by outlining the current state of diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and Malawi?
MMP: Malawi and Zimbabwe have had diplomatic relations way before the independence of the two countries.
In the past, we had Southern Rhodesia which is Zimbabwe today, Northern Rhodesia which is Zambia and Nyasaland which is present-day Malawi. So since that time, we have had a relationship.
Even when Malawi got its independence and became a republic in 1966, there was still a relationship considering that many Malawians were and are still here.
We are talking of in excess of 6 million Malawians who are here in Zimbabwe.
That tells you that ours is more than a political or diplomatic relationship, but more of brotherhood.
There are also a lot of people who are of Malawian origin but have Zimbabwean blood as well and vice versa. So the relationship has been going on very well before independence and after.
Even in terms of investments and trade, as you can see our pavilion is one of the biggest here at the ZITF, indicating that our bilateral and economic relationships are in a very good place. As Malawians, when we are here, we feel at home and I am sure Zimbabweans feel the same when they are in Malawi as well.
FBM: Can you summarise the state of trade relations between the two countries?
MMP: Our trade is very good, although we all know that there are a number of areas we can improve on.
You know that Malawian products such as rice and beans and a lot more are quite popular here. Mazoe orange crush is also very popular in Malawi. We also have products that are selling very well here such as the Malawi gin and vodka.
Basically, there has been a lot of trade going on. But I think at the moment we are now- through the direction from the President of Zimbabwe Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Malawian counterpart the President of Malawi Dr Lazarus Chakwera − have actually started spearheading economic diplomacy.
The two Heads of State are saying while we enjoy very good political relationships, we need to enhance our economic relations as well. So that is actually the new direction that we are taking. We are encouraging SMEs to link up and engage in partnerships. So, we are working with a lot of such small businesses.
Others have already started bringing in rice to a Harare-based company and some are also thinking of exporting their products to Malawi.
Big companies from Malawi such as Castel Malawi are already here and they want to identify a distributor for their products either in Harare or here in Bulawayo. We have companies like the Green Belt that specialise in manufacturing products such as sugar, they are also interested in establishing in Zimbabwe. I am very hopeful that by the end of the trade fair, we would have forged more linkages.
FBM: Malawi has one of the biggest foreign exhibition pavilion at this year’s ZITF, could that be a signal of improving trade relations between the two countries?
MMP: Yes. And in addition to that, it dovetails with what I have already said that this is home.
Malawi and Zimbabwe are Siamese twins. This large pavilion symbolises two things: that Malawi is actually enjoying the good relationship with the people and leadership of Zimbabwe and it also shows how much Malawi is interested in doing proper business with Zimbabwe.
It signifies that the trade agreements that are there are conducive to business between the two of us. That is why we have such a pavilion.
FBM: How are the two countries leveraging on the recently established African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) to boost trade?
MMP: I think this is an area that all of us in SADC need to capitalise on. Despite the global challenges that we face today, the ACFTA gives us an opportunity to enhance our trade as African people.
We currently have the Russia-Ukraine war that is affecting us in terms of the supply of wheat and other products.This is an opportunity for us to take advantage of these gaps. I know of an area in Malawi called Ntchisi where wheat is being grown. Now it’s only just a matter of us just standing up and saying we are able to produce the wheat not only for ourselves but for Africa as well.
I have focused on agriculture products here because I know that is where our strength lies. You are well aware that Zimbabwe and Malawi produce good quality tea which receives high ratings on the international market.
This is an opportunity to scale up our production. We also produce very good groundnuts, soyabean, legumes and grain. Over the years Malawi has provided countries such as South Sudan with these.
In the region, the Grain Marketing Board of Zimbabwe has already approached Malawi to say that they need quite a number of tonnes of maize.
FBM: Since the commencement of your tour of duty some four months ago, what major diplomatic work have you undertaken so far?
MMP: Of course, after you arrive you must make sure that you do all the protocol work that includes meeting the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
But apart from that, there are quite a number of foreign missions accredited to Malawi but are based here in Zimbabwe.
So it was incumbent on me that I was able to make courtesy calls and vice versa. I have also represented our president in a lot of national events.
FBM: What sort of areas will you be focusing on both diplomatically and economically as your tour of duty continues?
MMP: As I have indicated earlier both our Presidents, as I was assuming my posting, indicated that our two countries have been enjoying excellent political relationships. But now they are emphasising on improving our economic cooperation. This is what I think will take most of my time.
Recently, I had a meeting with a group called Young CEOs Forum to cement this message. Our former president Joyce Banda will be in the country during the first week of May to propagate this message. She will be accompanied by seven women, who are also business people. That is the direction I will be emphasising − strengthening our economic diplomacy.
FBM: You mentioned that Malawi has a very large diaspora community in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe also has a sizeable diaspora community in your country. What can the two countries do to leverage the contribution of these communities towards strengthening economic ties?
MMP: Most of the people who make the diaspora community are quite well off and well-resourced and help improve remittances. We have Malawian businesspeople doing very well in Zimbabwe. Some of them are medical doctors and others are economists.
I am discussing with some of their groups to try and come up with a concept to facilitate ties in areas of education and agriculture among other sectors.
These people have a lot of experience.Some have worked in developed countries and they can share their experiences for the benefit of both our countries.
