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Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi (centre) signs a Memorandum of Understanding with his Namibian counterpart Mrs Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, while Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi (left), Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Francis Nhema and Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere look on in Harare yesterday

Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe and Namibia yesterday signed four Memoranda of Understanding at the close of the seventh session of the Joint Permanent Commission meant to strengthen bilateral trade, investment and further enhance co-operation and ties between the two countries.
The MOUs which are on co-operation in the fields of agriculture, meteorology, tourism and youth affairs also seek to address the common challenges affecting development in the two countries.

The MOUs were signed by Namibian Foreign Affairs Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and her counterpart Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Francis Nhema, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi.

Speaking after the signing of the MOUs, Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah said the agreements should be used as tools for development.

“We have reached a point of no return in our resolve to reintegrate our co-operation. There is no doubt that we can go forward from here determined to make a difference to the bilateral relations between our two countries and our peoples. It’s indeed time to fulfil the expectation of our people.

“It’s time to turn our co-operation into potential instruments of development,” she said.

Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah said the agreements were a testimony of strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries and urged both Governments to ensure that the MOUs are implemented.

“We agreed that the two Governments have a responsibility to redouble our efforts to promote closer co-operation in areas we have identified as critical. We have also agreed to enhance co-ordination between two countries and full implementation of agreed minutes,” she said.

Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah said during the two day meeting which started on July 15, the two countries focused on some of the critical and crucial matters affecting development.

“We revisited areas of common concern in the area of economic and infrastructural development, transport and communication, mining, energy and forestry, agriculture and water development,” she said.

The minister said the joint commission also formulated various responses to the developmental challenges the two countries are facing.

She said Namibia would continue lobbying for the unconditional removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Cde Mumbengegwi said there was need for the two countries to also focus on bilateral co-operation in areas of mutual investment and use local resources rather to wait for foreigners.

“Where resources are available lets use them rather than to wait for foreign to come and use our financial resources. We discussed this issue in our consultations and I have assured her that this is a matter we must follow up,” he said.

Cde Mumbengegwi commended Namibia for being an all-weather friend and for the unconditional support it has given to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe and Namibia have already signed several MOUs on trade and investment, agriculture, telecommunications, mining, energy, politics and defence and security, transport and environment, infrastructure development and are currently working on seventeen other agreements in various fields including arts and culture, education, health, social welfare, gender, science and technology and fisheries.