The Sunday News
WE note that since the very day that President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over the highest office in the land, he has moved with speed to engage locals and the international community regarding his administration’s willingness to embrace business revival and growth.
He has challenged locals to move in the same direction in creating a conducive environment for investment to flow into the country and in the same vein, he has invited regional and the international community to come and do business in the country, assuring all and sundry that their investments will be protected.
In addition, he has spoken strongly against corruption and that has surely charmed the international community. And while in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week, he again seized the opportunity to sell Zimbabwe to the business world, and it is only a matter of time before results are realised.
Already, some business executives from neighbouring countries like South Africa have been to the country to lay the foundation for their businesses.
Former World Bank country head in Zimbabwe Dr Mungai Lenneiye equated the WEF to the United Nations General Assembly for business. Dr Lenneiye chairs the Zimbabwe Business Club which facilitated President Mnangagwa’s WEF preparatory meeting with captains of industry in Harare recently.
“I see the World Economic Forum at the same level as the United Nations in terms of global significance. The WEF is the UN Summit of global economics. It is the highest summit of economic branding. The UN is the highest level of political gathering and I know that Zimbabwe has taken its political branding to a high level before at the UN. Now is the time to achieve the same in the economic sphere.”
He, however, cautioned that people should not expect instant results.
“These are very exciting times for Zimbabwe. It’s a time of hope and you should turn that hope into certainty. I would like to see the world saying we are going to do business with Zimbabwe.”
As a show approval to the efforts being done by the Government, the European Union has shifted its stance on Zimbabwe. THE EU has indicated that it is ready to engage Zimbabwe. The bloc hailed President Mnangagwa’s efforts to revive the country’s economy that has seen the implementation of a number of reforms.
In a statement, it said it was open for dialogue with the new Government and other political players in the country.
“The EU welcomes the stated intention of the Zimbabwean authorities to deliver economic reforms in Zimbabwe, aiming at supporting job creation, growth and sustainable long-term development, and reaffirms its willingness to support the planning and implementation of much-needed structural changes and the promotion of good governance.
“In this context, the EU will support the authorities in establishing as soon as possible a constructive re-engagement with international financial institutions based on a clear and time-bound economic and political reform programme”.
Reports also say the Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, is seeking to reconcile Britain with Zimbabwe and is pinning hopes on the latter re-joining the Commonwealth.
A British newspaper, the British Express reported last weekend, “Asked by a diplomat at a party what her hopes were for this year, the Queen replied, wishing not for world peace, nor even happiness for her own family, but that Zimbabwe will re-join the Commonwealth.”
The President also held high level meetings with top officials from the world’s multilateral financial institutions like the IMF, World Bank and the African Development Bank, who all expressed their desire to assist the country in its economic recovery path.
