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Mukudzei Chingwere recently in HAVANA, Cuba

Students pursuing tertiary education outside the country have a role to play in economic development and Government will continue to support them, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador Frederick Shava has said.

He was speaking in Havana, Cuba when Zimbabwean students studying medicine and engineering on the Caribbean island paid a courtesy call on him on the sidelines of the G77+China Summit which last Saturday.

Minister Shava led Zimbabwe’s delegation to the summit which brings together 134 developing countries and China under one roof in their quest to foster a fair global order that does not impede on the development aspirations of the developing world.

After the summit, Minister Shava requested to meet the students to hand over an assortment of groceries and US$1 000 each which President Mnangagwa had given Minister Shava to hand over to the students.

“We are very happy to see you and to know that indeed you are going to school,” said Minister Shava.

“The qualifications you are pursuing are the ones we really need back home. We are happy to hear that you are doing medicine and engineering.

“You are being taught things that are badly needed back home so that we can have our own doctors and our own engineers. We want you to come back home after completing your studies to practice in Zimbabwe serving your people and your county.

“We are developing our country to achieve an upper middle-income society, and the President has been clear the ‘Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo’ and we want Zimbabweans to take up the responsibility of developing our country.

“As Government we are determined to give the assistance that you might need so that you will be able learn in a conducive environment and get your qualifications.

Minister Shava told the students that their colleagues back home did an excellent job when they produced equipment that was used to respond to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Zimbabwe won the commendation of the World Health Organisation and other countries for a comprehensive response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Trust Mabaya a sixth-year and final year medical student said he was ready to serve his country and if an opportunity was availed, he was willing to even further his studies. 

“This is my final year and when I graduate our want to come back home and serve in my country, but if an opportunity is availed I would like to further advance my education and come back home as a specialist doctor,” said Mabaya.

Another medical student Petronella Usayi said thanked Government for helping them in their education.

“Government is always keeping an eye and ear on us and it has helped us to exert ourselves fully and concentrate on our school work.

“The Cubans have very good medical training institutions and we want tap from their experience and expertise so that we take it home,” said Usayi.

An engineering student Tavona Mukachana said he wants to come back home and contribute to the development of the country.

“The Cubans are very good at engineering and we want to do our best to learn from them so that we can also take this expertise back home,” said Mukachana.