President’s pro-people policies resonate with other countries

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

 President Mnangagwa receives outgoing Angolan Ambassador to Zimbabwe Agostinho Tavares who bade him farewell at State House in Harare yesterday following the end of his tour of duty. — Picture: Believe Nyakudjara

Wallace Ruzvidzo

Herald Reporter

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa’s mantras, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” (a country is built by its people) and “leaving no one and no place behind” have gained traction outside the country’s borders and are being embraced by other African countries, outgoing Angolan Ambassador to Zimbabwe Agostinho Tavares has said.

The diplomat yesterday paid a courtesy call on the President at State House in Harare to bid him farewell following the conclusion of his tenure in Zimbabwe.

In an interview after their closed-door meeting, Ambassador Tavares reaffirmed Angola’s support of Zimbabwe’s current development thrust.

“I wish all the best to the people of Zimbabwe and I told the President that I learned many, many things here in Zimbabwe . . . ‘Leaving no one and no place behind’ and ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’.

“We support Zimbabwe,” he said.

Ambassador Tavares said with President Mnangagwa as Chairperson, Sadc was in safe hands.

The Angolan envoy continues to assure all and sundry of President Mnangagwa’s capability to lead the region.

“I believe that taking into account the experience and the pragmatism of His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the Sadc Chairmanship is in good hands, it is in safe hands with President Mnangagwa,” he said.

On relations between Harare and Luanda, Ambassador Tavares said they continued on an upward trajectory since the days of Zimbabwe’s struggle for independence.

Last year, the two countries signed 11 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in various fields including agriculture, higher education, justice and housing, as relations continue to deepen.

The MoUs were signed in Luanda, Angola, during the Second Session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) between Zimbabwe and Angola, which came 32 years after the last meeting.

“As you know, Angola and Zimbabwe, we have very historical and excellent relations between these two countries since the liberation struggle.

“Zimbabwe and Angola are sister countries and during my five years here, last year in May, we finally had the second session of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and we signed 11 legal instruments in different areas to strengthen the bilateral relationship between two countries.

“We signed, memorandums of understanding between Angola and Zimbabwe…we signed the legal instrument for cultural cooperation, sport cooperation, higher education and science and technology, just to mention a few,” said Ambassador Tavares.

He said he had enjoyed his tenure in Zimbabwe, adding that President Mnangagwa had wished him good fortunes at his next posting in Cape Verde.

The Ambassador said President Mnangagwa had also sent his greetings to Angolan President João Lourenço.

“I enjoyed my stay in Zimbabwe…I choose Zimbabwe as my second home now. He (the President) wished me a very good mission in another post where I am going now. I am going to Cape Verde, a Portuguese-speaking country and he wished all the best and good health to President João Lourenço and to continue to strengthen the relations between Angola and Zimbabwe,” he said.