President hailed for diaspora engagement, development policies 

Source: President hailed for diaspora engagement, development policies – herald

Bulawayo Bureau

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has been hailed for pursuing progressive development policies and embracing the diaspora through the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra and recognition of Zimbabweans abroad as the country’s 11th province.

The praise came at the 16th edition of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards UK (ZAA) in Birmingham on Friday night, where incoming ZAA UK 2026 chairman and United Kingdom-based politician and legal expert, Cde Pardon Tapfumaneyi, commended the Second Republic for creating an inclusive national development framework.

The colourful ceremony was attended by Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tinoda Machakaire, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Retired Colonel Christian Katsande, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders and members of the Zimbabwean community in the UK.

Addressing delegates, Cde Tapfumaneyi, who recently joined Zanu PF under the ‘Dzokai Kumusha/Uyani Ekhaya’ Programme, said the Second Republic has fundamentally changed the relationship between Zimbabwe and its diaspora communities through deliberate engagement and inclusive policies.

“We thank His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe, Dr Mnangagwa, and the Government for the development and open-door policy — ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’,” he said.

“The launch of the diaspora as the 11th province by His Excellency President Dr Mnangagwa is not symbolic.

“It is practical. It recognises that over three million Zimbabweans abroad send remittances, transfer skills and carry Zimbabwe’s name into boardrooms and parliaments worldwide.”

He said the diaspora was now an integral component of Zimbabwe’s socio-economic transformation agenda.

“For years we spoke of the diaspora as ‘out there’. Today, we speak of it as ‘in here’ — an integral part of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Cde Tapfumaneyi applauded the Second Republic for creating a conducive environment that encourages investment, skills transfer and partnerships between Zimbabweans abroad and those back home.

“Zimbabwe is standing at a point where investment is more than money. It is about belief,” he added.

“Investment in Zimbabwe means supporting the young entrepreneur in Mutare who needs seed capital, the nurse in London who wants to mentor students back home, and the engineer in Manchester who wants to transfer skills through a vocational programme.”

National development could only be accelerated through collaboration between the Government, the diaspora and local communities, said Cde Tapfumaneyi.

“The Government cannot do it alone. The diaspora cannot do it alone. But together, we can close the gap between potential and progress,” he said.

“When you invest in Zimbabwe — whether it’s US$100 to a family business, time to mentor a student, or a partnership with a local vocational centre — you are investing in stability, in jobs and in the future that makes return and circular migration possible.”

He also commended Minister Machakaire for engaging young Zimbabweans in the diaspora and ensuring they remain connected to national development initiatives.

“Your presence here matters. It tells every young Zimbabwean in this room that the Ministry of Youth sees you, hears you and wants to walk with you,” he said.

The recognition of the diaspora as the 11th province, Cde Tapfumaneyi said, must translate into practical opportunities for young Zimbabweans both at home and abroad.

“The 11th province means Zimbabwean youth in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester and Harare, Mpopoma, Mbizo, Gwanda and Victoria Falls should have equal access to opportunity, mentorship and markets,” he said.

“It means a graduate in Coventry should be able to pitch to a fund in Harare. It means a skills programme in Bulawayo should be shaped by a plumber in Leeds. It means policy should stop asking ‘Are you here or there?’ and start asking ‘What can you build for Zimbabwe?’”

Zimbabweans in the diaspora have been urged to actively contribute towards national development through investment, mentorship and skills transfer.

“To the diaspora: Don’t wait to be invited to build. Your skills, your networks and your capital are needed now,” he said. “To Government: Keep opening the doors. Make it easier for the diaspora to invest, to return and to partner.”

The Zimbabwe Achievers Awards are now an important platform for recognising Zimbabwean excellence across the globe.

“The Zimbabwe Achievers Awards was built to say: ‘We see you’. Tonight, we say it louder than ever: ‘Zimbabwe sees you, and Zimbabwe needs you’.”

He noted that Zimbabweans abroad remained deeply connected to their homeland and were prepared to play a bigger role in the country’s economic growth and transformation agenda under the Second Republic.