The Sunday Mail
IT was quite a bumper week for Zimbabwe.
On Tuesday, President Mnangagwa was in Botswana for the high-level US-Africa Business Summit.
It was yet another chapter in the continued rapprochement between Harare and Washington.
On Thursday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was in Zimbabwe as part of his three-nation African tour.
The two countries signed 12 memoranda of understanding (MoU) in the fields of agriculture; science; energy; labour; social protection; information and communication technology; and pharmaceuticals.
On the same day, iconic American boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jnr, arrived in Zimbabwe as part of his “Motherland Tour” of Africa.
And then on Friday, President Mnangagwa officially commissioned the modernised and expanded Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
A day earlier, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona had officially opened a recently rehabilitated 15-kilometre stretch along the Harare-Masvingo Road.
Overall, about 450km have since been rehabilitated and modernised on the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, a key arterial road in the North-South Corridor.
Only 110km are outstanding.
Elsewhere in these pages, we report that the 2023 Telegraph Travel Awards, which were published on Tuesday last week, have ranked Zimbabwe as the number one tourist destination that has “soared in popularity” since 2019.
According to the list — compiled by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph — Zimbabwe eclipsed other popular destinations such as Egypt, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Madagascar, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
All these remarkable developments encapsulate the country’s dreams, aspirations and goals, as stated at the inception of the Second Republic in 2017.
Quite clearly, Zimbabwe has made significant inroads in engaging and re-engaging the world, modernising its infrastructure and reclaiming its rightful position as a regional economic powerhouse.
And this it is doing despite being encumbered by significant headwinds from sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, climate change, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war.
Most significantly, the more progress Zimbabwe continues to make under the circumstances, the more it lays the ground for future successes and milestones.
Deepening diplomatic relations with Tehran, for example, has the potential to unlock the country’s potential in science, agriculture and textiles.
It has to be remembered that Modzone Enterprises — a joint venture between the governments of Zimbabwe and Iran — used to control a thriving Chitungwiza-based textiles venture.
At its prime, the company was Chitungwiza’s single largest employer.
It was also a critical part of the cotton value chain.
In addition, at some point, Iran even made moves to establish a tractor assembly plant in Harare.
This seems to have gained traction after the latest engagement.
“We think what is critically important as Zimbabwe is to be food secure, and we are almost there. We have signed an agreement relating to co-operation in the mechanisation and modernisation of agriculture,” President Mnangagwa said after talks with his counterpart last week.
“I am aware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is well-advanced in that sector and the establishment of a tractor factory will go a long way in modernising and mechanising our agriculture to consolidate this achievement of food security for the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“I am happy we have also signed an MoU that will give Zimbabwe both innovation and technology from Iran and we shall do our best to take this offer we are having from Iran.”
This strategy has worked wonders thus far.
With every passing day, Zimbabwe continues to rewrite tobacco production statistics.
In the current marketing season, output is likely to reach 300 million kg, a target that was forecast to be realised in 2025.
It is nothing short of incredible.
This is just part of the numerous good stories to tell.
There is clearly something special that is happening in Zimbabwe.
