Indonesia offers more scholarships
THE Minister of State for Government Scholarships in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Christopher Mushohwe met Indonesian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Stephanus Yuwono and they weighed how relations could be further developed in education, health and agriculture.
Briefing journalists last week after the meeting, Minister Mushohwe said the courtesy call sought to strengthen relations.
“We have had a very fruitful discussion with His Excellency (Mr Yuwono) on Indonesia’s assistance that it has always given us in the area of scholarships.
“Zimbabweans have year after year been receiving scholarships to go and study in the various areas in Indonesia either at undergraduate level or at Masters and PHD levels.
“As we know, Indonesia is the hub for agricultural expertise. We would really like to see some students and professionals going there to study various aspects of agriculture and agricultural mechanisation.
“But we have gone further and agreed that it is necessary for us to send students to Indonesia together with professionals so that these professionals can go and specialise in areas of greater need in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Minister Mushohwe said the move would boost Command fishery, livestock, Command Agriculture and the mechanisation that the country requires since Indonesia had top notch technologies in agriculture.
He said the health sector was another area of need.
“We have been paying a lot of foreign currency outside Zimbabwe to have our people receive medical treatment in areas that we do not have competences or skills for. I was telling His Excellency, the Ambassador, that we are losing many people who suffer from heart, kidney, brain, spinal and cervical problems because they will either have to go to South Africa, India, the United Kingdom, China or Russia. And how many of our people would afford the fees there?
“So, we are losing many people who are not supposed to die. Why do we not send professionals, doctors for example, to Indonesia — who can specialise in these areas and be able to administer those treatments here in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Yuwono said Indonesia and Zimbabwe were all weather friends.
“I would like to reciprocate what His Excellency (Minister Mushohwe) has mentioned about the co-operation between Indonesia and Zimbabwe.
“I further agree that since the very beginning when I came here in Zimbabwe, I realised that this country was a fertile country and so since we have the experience in agriculture we would like to very much develop our agricultural co-operation between the two countries.
“We discussed a lot of things with the minister about what kind of co-operation in agriculture we should develop. We also have a list that I am going to finalise with people in Indonesia.”