The Sunday Mail
Leroy Dzenga
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa and his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi have agreed to elevate the two countries’ bilateral platform from a Joint Permanent Commission of Co-operation to a Bi-National Commission, in a move that will propel diplomatic engagements under the forum to the highest level.
A JPCC is led by ministers and senior Government officials, while a Bi-National Commission is presided over by Heads of State.
The new format was announced on Friday by Foreign Affairs and International Trade permanent secretary Ambassador James Manzou at the end of the 12th Zim-Moza JPCC held in Harare.
“The two Heads of State, His Excellency Cde Emmerson D. Mnangagwa and His Excellency Filipe J. Nyusi, agreed to elevate the Joint Permanent Commission on Co-operation to a Bi-National Commission,” said Ambassador Manzou.
The just ended JPCC, which was held after an eight-year absence, provided Zimbabwe and Mozambique — which have a long history dating back to the liberation struggle — an opportunity to evaluate the state of bilateral relations.
“The two countries agreed to intensify interaction in transport, infrastructure development, energy, agriculture, mining, arts and culture, tourism, education, health and information among other areas of co-operation,” said Ambassador Manzou.
Two Memoranda of Understanding were signed, one on Labour and another on Sharing of Information and Development in the Media Sector.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the MOU on the media sector is set to improve the flow of information between the two countries.
“The MOU gives us an opportunity to strengthen our very deep history. Zimbabwe shares the longest border of 1 700 kilometres with Mozambique in Manicaland and this is our chance to collectively share our people’s aspirations.
“We cannot continue to have a situation where people in Zimbabwe get to know about events in Mozambique through Western cable news channels.
“We need our own news agencies to be sharing information,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
There will be training programmes, exchange programmes, and content sharing between media entities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as a result of the agreement.
Mozambican Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Minister Veronica Dlhovo said her country will continue to stand with Zimbabwe in the call for illegal sanctions to be removed.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Mozambique, Victor Matemadanda, said the upgrade is a sign that both countries take their relationship and co-operation seriously.
“This stage is very important for us and the region because the decisions that are going to be taken from now onwards are going to be implemented because they would have been directed by state Presidents.
“Decisions made by Presidents become final, what will only be left is the rationalisation but when Heads of State agree, you are guaranteed of implementation,” said Ambassador Matemadanda.
