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Business Reporter
THE World Bank Group has appointed Mr Nathan Belete as the new country director for Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.
An Ethiopian national and a development professional with over 25 years of work experience across Africa, East Asia, and South Asia, Mr Belete was previously the World Bank’s country director for Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal, based in Dakar.
In Zimbabwe he replaces outgoing Ms Marjorie Mpundu, a Zambian national who only served the country for one year and has been deployed to another post elsewhere within the organisation.
“He will be based in Dar es Salaam from where he will oversee a portfolio of about $12,5 billion in total commitments for the four countries,” said the World Bank in a media update today.
“This support covers priority areas of human capital, agriculture, infrastructure, private sector development, climate, and gender, among others.”
Prior to Mr Belete’s country director assignments, he managed the institution’s Food and Agriculture Global Practice in the East Asia and Pacific Region, based in Vietnam, from 2014 to 2019. Prior to that, he was the sector manager for the World Bank’s sustainable development department in Indonesia.
Mr Belete’s career at the World Bank has included assignments in the World Bank’s country offices in Nairobi, New Delhi, and Beijing with responsibilities for investments and technical assistance activities in agriculture and rural development, among others.
derick.khumalo