Chronicle Editor
WE are here again, the week when Bulawayo hogs the stage.
The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) begins in the city tomorrow, ending on Saturday.
Everyone who matters in business in our country, Sadc and Africa will be in the city to show what they have to offer, to seek markets and partnerships.
The five-day exposition, hampered over the past two years by Covid-19, is back to its normal self this year.
No restrictions to numbers to congregate, no need for Covid-19 negative results, no need for the vaccination card, no face mask mandate and no fear.
Just total business for the first three days and much fun, colour and crowds over the last two days when the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre opens for the public.
This year’s edition is being held under the theme, “Transformative Innovation, Global Competitiveness.” King Mswati III of Eswatini is expected to land in the country tomorrow and officially open the 63rd edition of the event on Friday.
As usual, in addition to the main show, ZITF, there are concurrent events – the Bulawayo Agricultural Show, A’Sambeni tourism and travel show, Scholastica, Pak Print, Ultim8 Home.
A number of conferences are lined up as well. The highlight will be the International Business Conference that the ZITF Company will, as usual, host jointly with its longtime partner, the National Economic Consultative Forum. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga will headline the conference.
Twenty-one countries are represented at the ZITF, a significant jump from 13 last year.
The European Union (EU) delegation is returning as a bloc after a few years of its member countries taking part individually.
The US is back again as well, after shunning the exposition over the past few years.
As we report elsewhere in this issue, workers were busy putting final touches to their exhibition stands yesterday.
They must get everything done today, and their exhibits mounted by the end of the day ahead of the beginning of serious business tomorrow.
We really missed the real vibe that comes with ZITF over the past two years but we are delighted to have the real one back this year.
We look forward to a rich exposition which enables exhibitors and visitors to clinch deals that will develop their businesses and the country at large.
The Government must be pleased that its engagement and reengagement drive is bearing fruit with the return of the EU and the US to the ZITF.
The nations had, over the past 20 or so years, been demonising the country, the local business climate and shunning the fair, part of their illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
However, President Mnangagwa, upon assuming office in 2017, said he wanted the country to be a friend to all and an enemy to none.
He embarked on a drive to reengage the West to normalise the country’s ties with them. He embarked, too, on a drive to consolidate the country’s relations with its traditional allies – Sadc, Africa, China, Russia, India and others in the global South.
Therefore, the return of the EU and the US indicates a success of that policy thrust of reviving the country’s relations with those it was at loggerheads with.
At the same time, the continued support of Africa, Russia, China and other nations in the South highlights the success of the Government’s agenda of solidifying its relations with its all-weather friends.
It is great that the ZITF has served to indicate the success of the country’s new foreign policy objectives.
Online Reporter