Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
FOREIGN Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira has reaffirmed the centrality of President Mnangagwa’s authority in directing Zimbabwe’s foreign policy, urging the country’s envoys to operate with “one nation, one President, one message, one voice”.
Speaking during President Mnangagwa’s meet-and-greet engagement with Zimbabwe’s ambassadors, ambassadors-designate and chargés d’affaires in Harare yesterday, Prof Murwira said the Ministry’s Strategic Planning Workshop, which preceded the engagement, had established a clear national command for implementation of strategies aimed at generating quantifiable results.
“Working in liaison with the relevant departments back home, you have a duty to advance our national development goals and transform the quality of life of our people,” he said.
Prof Murwira said the Constitution vested authority over the conduct of foreign policy in the President, adding that the foreign service, therefore, operated under his strategic direction.
“So we left the workshop very clear that we all act under your command in terms of foreign affairs. Your Excellency, the Constitution makes it very unambiguous that the foreign service serves directly under your command, and we say one nation, one President, one message, one voice,” he said.
Prof Murwira said the Second Republic had deliberately repositioned foreign policy as an extension of Zimbabwe’s domestic economic and security priorities, with diplomatic missions expected to facilitate investment, technology transfer, export market expansion and national security.
He said the Ministry was also being restructured to ensure it was “fit for purpose”, following the functional needs analysis approved by the President.
Prof Murwira said the Public Service Commission had responded positively to the directive to restructure the Ministry.
He also said Government was progressing with the proposed Foreign Affairs and International Trade Bill, whose principles had already been approved by Cabinet, with the Attorney-General now working on the legislation.
The Bill is expected to strengthen the Ministry’s statutory mandate while enhancing coordination among Government agencies in projecting “Brand Zimbabwe”.
Prof Murwira said the Ministry was also implementing the President’s directive to formally incorporate trade and investment promotion into the statutory mandate of Zimbabwe’s diplomatic missions.
This, he said, would ensure that ambassadors and other envoys were judged not only on traditional diplomatic functions, but also on their contribution to economic development.
“In alignment with your pronouncement of the doctrine of ubiquitous leadership, the guiding principle that everybody is a chairman, we have charged all envoys to exercise proactive stewardship, total ownership, and personal accountability in driving national economic results for the integrity, dignity, and prosperity of Zimbabwe”.
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe would use its regional leadership responsibilities to convert regional integration into tangible economic benefits while leveraging its forthcoming United Nations Security Council tenure to promote peace and conflict prevention.
“We shall use our commission chairmanship, Your Excellency, to convert regional integration into tangible trade dividends and operationalise our United Nations Security Council strategy to stop conflicts before they erupt through peaceful mediation,” he said.
Dean of Ambassadors, Ambassador Ignatius Mudzimba, reaffirmed the foreign service’s commitment to promoting trade, economic, tourism, social and cultural co-operation.
“Special attention will be given to promoting education, science, innovation, and technology cooperation to strengthen local production, beneficiation, and value addition of Zimbabwean products for the international market.
“We equally commit to continue engaging our diaspora community to promote their interests in welfare and to harness their potential to support and contribute to the development of Zimbabwe,” he said.
