President directs diplomats to further nation’s interests

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

 

President Mnangagwa poses with Ambassadors-designate (from left) Lieutenant General (Retired) David Sigauke (DRC), Ms Helen Bangawe Dingani (Tanzania) and Mr Visitor Jerry Mutume (Equtorial Guinea) during a farewell courtesy call at State House in Harare yesterday. — Picture: Innocent Makawa

Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter

President Mnangagwa has directed Zimbabwean ambassadors-designate being deployed to Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Equatorial Guinea, to represent the country well and further its interests through championing increased economic cooperation.

Ambassadors-Designate Ms Helen Bangawe Dingani, who will be leaving for Tanzania, Lieutenant General (Retired) David Sigauke, who will be representing the country in DRC, and Mr Visitor Jerry Mutume, who has been deployed to Equatorial Guinea, yesterday paid a farewell courtesy call on the President at State House.

Speaking to the media after a closed-door meeting with President Mnangagwa, all three diplomats expressed their commitment to furthering the country’s interests at their new postings.

Ambassador-Designate Dingani said she had been charged to increase economic cooperation between Harare and Dodoma.

The two countries enjoy cordial relations that date back to Zimbabwe’s protracted liberation struggle.

“His Excellency has reminded me that with Tanzania, we have very good relations therefore, in this era of engagement and re-engagement, we will strengthen our relationship with Tanzania, as we continue to work together in SADC as friends.

“He also reminded me that I should make sure that we try and cultivate economic ties with Tanzania and we will engage ZIDA (Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency) to talk with their counterparts in Tanzania to see whether we can increase our trade relationship,” she said.

Ms Dingani expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for uplifting women in the diplomatic arena.

She also urged women to work harder so that they could also receive the recognition that comes along with hard work and dedication in their various jurisdictions.

“We really thank His Excellency for recognising the need for gender parity and we, as women, are very happy when we see His Excellency taking the girl child along with him.

“We want to encourage more of us to work harder so that we are also recognised to represent the President,” he said.

Ambassador Lt General (Retired) David Sigauke said he would work on increasing trade between Zimbabwe and the DRC, pursuant to the attainment of Vision 2030.

“We were given a mission statement to go and represent our country in the DRC on diplomacy, economics, culture and everything that should ensure that Zimbabwe is boosted, as far as economic development is concerned.

“Therefore, trade is required to be increased. My task is to ensure that I also lift it from where others left and ensure that we enjoy investments from the DRC.

“It is good for us as Zimbabweans to ensure that we have a favourable economic environment that goes in sync with the Vision 2030 of His Excellency and the nation at large,” he said.

Ambassador Mutume said he had been instructed to consolidate the brotherly relations existing between Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea.

“I have been given orders to go and reaffirm the friendship that we have with Equatorial Guinea. They are our good friends and as you know, Zimbabwe in 2004 helped Equatorial Guinea to uncover a coup plot that was meant to oust President Obiang Nguema so from there, we developed very good political relations.

“I am going to make sure that we continue to be good friends, not just politically, but also to go into the economic realm. They have a comparative advantage in the field of oil,” he said.

Ambassador Mutume said he would work on increasing cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including agriculture, education and health, among others.

“Zimbabwe also has comparative advantages where Equatorial Guinea can learn one or two things; education, we would want to make sure that we get a lot of students from that part of the world. We have so many universities and if we can work together, we can improve our educational systems. At the moment they have 28 students, and we would want to bring more.

“Besides education, health is another sector we would want to work with them. We have doctors we can take to Equatorial Guinea, health brigades can go and assist.

“We have a comparative advantage in agriculture. We would want to grow wheat for Equatorial Guinea. We already have excess in that area and we would want to assist our brothers because they must enjoy food sovereignty, as Zimbabwe is doing,” he said.