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Tendai Rupapa recently in CHINA
ZIMBABWEANS must work together and pull in the same direction to transform the country because bad-mouthing the motherland affects its ability to lure investors, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has said.

Amai Mnangagwa said as a mother and citizen, she wanted development for the country, adding that it was every citizen’s responsibility to work towards its transformation.

Recounting her recent week-long visit to China, the First Lady said when potential investors in China heard about her impending visit, they sought to hear the news she and her delegation had brought from Zimbabwe.

“I had been invited as Angel of Hope Foundation patron and I was prepared to talk about my foundation only, but it turned out to be more of investment and social issues,” she said. “I played my part and grabbed the opportunity to discuss with potential investors on various issues for the development of our country.

“We spoke about Zimbabwe, the current situation, what we need as a country and investment issues. We touched on various sectors that included agriculture, mining, health and tourism. ChinaBrand International Commercial has been following my philanthropic work and its director Mrs Juliana Elhawary became interested and looked for me.

“When she invited me here, she indicated that she also wanted Government ministries on board as she had mobilised the Chinese business community. I then sought permission from the President to include representatives from different ministries in my delegation.”

The First Lady said her delegation met various companies that expressed willingness to invest in Zimbabwe and one such company is China Lesso which deals mainly in agricultural equipment and has advanced irrigation mechanisms.

She said the firm expressed willingness to set up a plant in Zimbabwe and to offer technical support.

The First Lady spoke about a Chinese medical oxygen engineering firm Techray Medical Technology Co Ltd that also expressed interest in setting up manufacturing plants at Zimbabwe’s five referral hospitals, in a development expected to reduce the country’s medical oxygen import bill.

She said it was important for the country to have a medical oxygen plant, adding that lives would be saved.

The First Lady said Zimbabwe needed investment and invited those keen on helping the country to do so freely, adding that ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’.

“As a citizen and a mother, I have done my part,” she said. “We are rebuilding our country and I urge everyone to work hard so that we fulfil our vision. The engagements we had here, we should take them seriously because our Chinese friends are willing to help us.”

The First Lady said Zimbabweans needed a changed mindset and to stop painting the country black.

“We need growth and it is time for everyone to work hard,” she said. “Our President needs our support as the country is in its transitional period. Let us put our heads together and work for Zimbabwe, it is our country.”

Amai Mnangagwa said Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni, who was part of the delegation, would relay to the Government information on companies that expressed willingness to establish businesses in Zimbabwe as part of measures to rebuild the economy.

“We have our Vice-Presidents in Zimbabwe and each one of them has his area of specialty,” she said. “Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is on the economic side, while VP Kembo Mohadi is on the social side.

“Therefore, I came with Minister Sithembiso Nyoni who was also on the invited guests’ list representing her ministry and she reports to both Vice-Presidents. She is going to present to them what transpired here and the information will be forwarded to the President. As for me, I played my part.”

Amai Mnangagwa’s sentiments come at a time when it is becoming abundantly clear that Zimbabwe stands to reap immense benefits from its relations with China, judging by the willingness of companies in the Asian giant to invest.

Barely three weeks ago, the First Lady was in Accra, Ghana, with a delegation of women in tourism to expose them to the new market since women empowerment is also close to her heart.

This is against the backdrop of other income-generating projects she has rolled out across the length and breadth of the country.

A representative from the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Beijing, China, Counsellor Garikai Kashitiku showered the First Lady with praises over her initiative which he said dovetails with her position as the mother of the nation.

In his detailed presentation during one of the business meetings between the Zimbabwe delegation and the Chinese business people, Mr Kashitiku described farming as critical to ensure food security and create employment for citizens.

He spelt the need to forge ahead with “win-win” cooperation and to take advantage of the elevation of Zimbabwe’s relations with China to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Cooperation.

He said the move should result in increased exports of agricultural produce ranging from food crops (maize, sorghum, sugar beans, sweet potatoes) to cash crops (tobacco, soya beans, cotton) and horticulture crops (tea, coffee, macadamia nuts, bananas, avocado and citrus fruits).

This in addition to livestock – cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

Mr Kashitiku attributed the good quality of Zimbabwe’s agricultural products to favourable climatic conditions and fertile soils.

Opportunities in the agriculture sector, he said, were limitless as more opportunities were available in the entire agribusiness value chain from farming, agro-processing, packaging, refrigeration, marketing, logistics, agro-equipment and chemicals supply.

He implored the Chinese to take advantage of the land reform and partner smallholder farmers through contract farming and assured them that Zimbabwean farmers were only new in terms of land ownership, but were very experienced.

Mr Kashitiku said the Chinese must partner the First Lady’s Angel of Hope Foundation which was fighting tooth and nail to ensure that vulnerable members of society and marginalised communities actively participated in the revival of the country’s economy.

He said as the country pursued its economic revitalisation, it was obvious that Government had prioritised certain key drivers of economic growth.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mr Kashitiku said, called for economic development that left no one behind.

“Thus, the inaugural visit by the First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, in her capacity as the founder of Angel of Hope Foundation whose focus is to identify and assist the vulnerable and disadvantaged members and communities in Zimbabwe, was meant to ensure that the country’s economic development is inclusive,” he said.

Mr Reason Machigere spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, while Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Association president Mr Denford Mutashu represented his constituency – the retailers.

Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), represented by Mrs Otilia Furusa, invited the Chinese to consider investing in the marketing of local minerals.

Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development and Small and Medium Enterprises representative Ms Beauty Razemba gave an overview of the contribution of SMEs to economic development and invited the Chinese to partner and support them using various financing models to enable them to access small to light industrial equipment and machinery.

Being the lead ministry that spearheads the empowerment of women in Zimbabwe, it impressed upon the Chinese business community to support the First Lady’s vision of supporting the vulnerable and disadvantaged, including women, orphans, the elderly and marginalised communities in establishing income-generating projects.

From the private sector, Mrs Olinda Mahufe, the deputy director of Voedsel Tobacco International, a tobacco merchant company quipped: “I would like to thank the First Lady for granting me this opportunity to be part of her business delegation to China. Voedsel Tobacco International strives to build the economy through empowerment, thereby creating employment, a step towards poverty eradication.

“Our wish is to explore the Chinese market. This will generate the much-needed foreign currency to Zimbabwe. Strategic partnerships with the Chinese would usher in top-of-the-range mechanisation which boosts productivity and efficiency in the agricultural sector, thus restoring the bread basket status of Zimbabwe to sustain herself, Africa, and the world at large.”

Mrs Lilian Gonga of Chalkmount Enterprises, whose company is into road and housing construction, said she felt honoured to be part of the First Lady’s delegation to Guangzhou.

“This trip was very beneficial to my company and the country at large,” she said.

“I met with several Chinese businesspeople who are eager to invest in construction in Zimbabwe. Their response is very encouraging for my company and our country.

“Some want partnerships, while some want to embark on huge projects such as building hotels and hospitals. After touring a company that manufactures PVC pipes of all sizes, I saw an opportunity to go into manufacturing of such pipes on a small-scale to start with, since these plastics are used extensively in building as plumbing and electrical tubing etc.

“This will reduce the need to import such items into Zimbabwe.”

Overally, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development represented by Mr Charles Tahwa said it benefited immensely from the conference which gave investors insight into Zimbabwe’s rich mineral resources.

“Key among the issues raised was interest on new policy reforms and easy of doing business,” he said.

“Mineral commodity dealers were interested in the availability of mineral commodities in particular platinum, gold, diamond and prospects of enhanced jewellery manufacturing.

“The well-arranged tours to companies and institutions exposed the delegation to technological advances, strategic and roadmap for the demand for commodities, particularly lithium batteries.

The interests on setting up plants and corporations presents opportunities to development and modernising our mining sector.”

Mr Tahwa said the commitment from the First Lady and the delegation demonstrated to Chinese investors that indeed Zimbabwe is open for business.

Dr Bernard Madzima and Mr Lovemore Musarurwa represented the Ministry of Health and Child Care on the trip.