Diplomats urged to defend national image
ZIMBABWEAN diplomats have a special role to play in the Brand Zimbabwe campaign to promote the national image that has been tainted by negative perceptions spread by the country’s detractors, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said this while addressing diplomats and senior managers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade at a retreat being held in the country’s second largest city.
The Brand Zimbabwe campaign is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
“Needless to say that you bear a special responsibility in promoting and maintaining a strong brand for our country,” she said.
“You often deal with Zimbabweans in the diaspora that have a special role in the Brand Zimbabwe exercise.
“Brand Zimbabwe cannot be achieved without your serious engagement and commitment.
“The Ministry of Information hopes to establish a strong partnership with you to package attractive investment information for the development and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe.
“This should be fairly easy to do, considering the policies and strides of the Second Republic.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the country’s diplomats had a responsibility of defending and promoting all the aspects of the country, politics, defense, security, culture, investments and trade relations, among others.
“Our friends, potential partners, foes, and all those that are interested in the country come to you first before they land in our country.
“You are the first image of the country that they encounter, and as such we will often be judged or commended through you,” she said.
Owing to policy initiatives spearheaded by President Mnangagwa, like the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra and that of Zimbabwe being a friend to all and an enemy to none, a new nation was rising and is confident as it is forward looking.
Minister Mutsvangwa cited a number of domestic and foreign direct investments that breathing a new entrepreneurial ethic across the length and breadth of the country.
“Our bountiful mineral resources are exciting and attracting the attention of world class corporate boardrooms,” she said.
“Who could have dreamt that Tsingshan Holdings Group, ranked number 238 on the Fortune 500 conglomerates would establish a full carbon steel ecosystem in Zimbabwe?
“It started with ferrochrome furnaces in Selous on the Great Dyke.
“The next step was the Dinson coke batteries from thermal coal in Hwange and the final stage is the Manhize Carbon Steel blast furnaces in Mvuma.
“There is another world class act going on with lithium as global transportation migrates from fossil fuels to new energy electric vehicles. A whopping US$700 million dollars’ worth of mergers and acquisitions have been occurring covering Arcadia in Goromonzi, Sabi in Buhera, and Zulu Lithium in Bikita. All this in a mere five months span.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said new industrial parks were on the cards while ports, rail, road and border logistics were on the drawing board.
She said new electricity power generators at Hwange 7 and 8 were poised to be fired soon to add to the recently expanded Kariba South power station while more were planned to meet burgeoning new industrial capacity.
“In agriculture, similar innovations are afoot as Africa’s most educated workforce conquers new frontiers. Homegrown climate-change defiant Pfumvudza-Intwasa is staving off the ravages of global warming to food security.
“Staple food granaries are full to the brim,” she said.
“Food security is further assured by bountiful and unprecedented winter wheat harvests. Dam construction is opening more land to year round irrigation, at the same time providing piped water to urban centres.”
In their remarks, several diplomats welcomed the Brand Zimbabwe campaign, saying its aims were also at the core of their day to day activities. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Manzou said: “The Brand Zimbabwe campaign is one of our key result areas and we hope to work together for the success of the initiative.”
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the UK, Colonel (Retired) Christian Katsande said the campaign was, “at the centre of what we have been discussing (during the retreat) and it will guide us going forward”.
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Germany Alice Mashingaidze welcomed the initiative, especially the aspect of recording and dissemination of the country’s history.
“I liked the part of teaching our children our history and on that we should also involve the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” she said.
Professor Charity Manyeruke, who is Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Rwanda, welcomed the Brand Zimbabwe campaign and urged the ministry of Information to regularly update them on developments in the country.