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Speech by the Honourable Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa at the launch of Brand Zimbabwe project on Monday.
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• The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr M Sibanda
• Cabinet Ministers present
• Public Service Commission chairperson, Dr V Hungwe
• Politburo members present
• The president of the Chiefs’ Council Fortune Charumbira
• Members of the National Assembly and the Senate
• Permanent Secretaries
• Captains of Industry and Commerce
• Members of the Academia
• All Government officials
• Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my honour to welcome you all to this auspicious occasion of the launch of the Brand Zimbabwe project. This is a very exciting and long awaited moment in our country.
Upon assuming office in 2018, the Second Republic under the servant leadership of His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa agreed to the proposal presented by our consultant AGOS to facilitate the process to positively brand the country.
However, the conditions at the time were not appropriate for the implementation of an exercise of this nature.
While we waited for this official start, the facilitators would carry out desk research and some field research, albeit limited, and would plan for the commencement of field consultations, seminars and workshops as it was envisaged and planned for, to make sure that the majority of our people, those inside and outside the country have unhindered participation.
However, as they were preparing to officially launch the campaign, the COVID-19 pandemic entered the scene and the project was again interrupted this time for over 2 years.
The process Ladies and gentlemen requires the participation of all Zimbabweans no matter their location to fully engage in a frank but good spirit of rebuilding our country to cement its unity as we move forward as one.
All of this being said ladies and gentlemen, we are here now, and we are excited and pleased to be launching the project now. We are here to inform the nation that we have started the process of branding Zimbabwe and that this is a task that we are placing into your hands.
We see this exercise as an opportunity to reflect about ourselves, about who we are; about who we want to be, and who we want the world to know us to be.
We see in this branding process a moment to reflect on our true identity, on our weaknesses and strengths. It is an opportunity to harness these strengths and channel them into positive energy that can forever transform our country and put us on a path of sustainable development and end of poverty.
Branding Zimbabwe is our collective responsibility. It is highly challenging as it requires the coming together of every one of us.
We should take a deep dive into our consciousness, reflect deeply on what divides us and what can strengthen our unity. It is not AGOS consulting that will do that for us, it is you and me.
It is the realisation of the power and the strength we carry that we can transform our country forever.
We are not doing this for anybody else. We are doing this for ourselves, because we believe it is the right thing to do for us.
This is a moment to ask ourselves and ultimately define who we truly are.
Ladies and gentlemen the branding of countries has grown in popularity because Governments are recognising that the international perception of a nation is of great importance in the contemporary globalised world.
It does not require rocket science to appreciate that when we have positive reputation in the international community, our tourism, trade, investment, diplomatic relations and attractiveness to foreign investors will improve as a result. So indeed there is a case for branding Zimbabwe!
You will all recall that at some stage in the history of our country, we were renowned for our agricultural prowess and food security hence we attained the status of the Breadbasket of southern Africa.
We were also renowned for our top quality tobacco that the world descended on our auction floors to buy the leaf considered great for cigarette manufacturing because of its flavour.
I am throwing all this so that we begin to brainstorm, we begin to think of what we want to be known for, the identity we want the world to know us for.
It is that unique selling point that we want to come up with at the end of the process.
As you are all aware, at his inaugural speech, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, reaffirmed the Government commitment to rebuild the country and remarked that “this responsibility, lies principally with none, but ourselves”. In the same speech President Mnangagwa reminded us that “ours is a great country endowed with resources and abounding opportunities for everyone who considers it home”.
He added that while he was fully aware that emotions and expectations might be high and mixed, he has no doubts that over time, we will appreciate the solid foundation made by his predecessor against all manner of vicissitudes, towards building an educated, enlightened, skilled and forgiving society.
We call upon all Zimbabweans to reflect on these words, to reflect on what should be done to spruce up our image. We are a forgiving people.
Let us forgive each other first and turn this position of strength to something that can benefit us all.
We launch this initiative with the faith that at the end of it the country will have a brand that represents the identity, character, and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe and that this exercise, will galvanise us and help us to focus on what we are supposed to do together — to restore the greatness of our nation again, independent of our political belief, religious persuasion, race, gender or class.
We are embarking on branding our nation to unite the country. To change its negative image to one that reflects the true identity, aspirations and character of the country and its people.
We are doing this to strengthen cohesion among Zimbabweans and restore national pride, promote stability and further prosperity.
We are doing this to improve the positioning of Zimbabwe in many global rankings.
We are doing this to show our renewed commitment to occupy our right place in the community of states.
It is a long journey but one worthy taking because the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. We invite the country to come and take a seat and have discussions about us; about who we are, what we want, and where we truly desire to go.
We ask the nation to engage and support the facilitating team of AGOS Consulting with our branding exercise.
Online Reporter