marble nkomo
Fungi Kwaramba in ACCRA, Ghana
ZIMBABWE and Ghana are repositioning their long standing liberation ties into a strategic economic partnership, with President Mnangagwa saying the two countries are now focused on translating shared history into tangible cooperation across key productive sectors. The engagement comes as the President undertakes a State Visit to Ghana — the cradle of Pan Africanism and one of Africa’s largest economies — aimed at deepening economic partnerships and expanding areas of collaboration for the benefit of Zimbabweans.
In a post on the micro blogging platform X yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the visit marks a shift from relations rooted mainly in shared liberation struggles to a forward looking partnership focused on economic prosperity.
“Zimbabwe and Ghana share a deep, liberation-rooted history. During this visit, we are moving beyond shared history toward a shared future of economic prosperity. Through the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC), we will sign several strategic agreements in agriculture, trade, and waste management to benefit both our nations. I look forward to our high-level talks at Peduase Lodge and visiting key industrial and heritage sites. Together, we are strengthening the bonds of South-South cooperation,” he said.
President Mnangagwa arrived at Accra International Airport yesterday, where he was welcomed by his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Dramani Mahama, along with Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Ghana Kufa Chinoza, Ghanaian Cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ghana.
He was accorded full military honours.
President Mnangagwa inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Ghana Armed Forces, followed by a 21 gun salute.
Later in the evening, President Mahama hosted a State Banquet in honour of his Zimbabwean counterpart.
Today, the two leaders are expected to hold extensive bilateral talks with their respective delegations, focusing on strengthening cooperation in key areas including trade, health, sanitation, anti-corruption efforts and job creation. The discussions will culminate in the signing and exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in areas of mutual interest.
At least 10 MoUs are expected to be signed today. This marks the first State Visit by a Zimbabwean President to Ghana, which recently condemned slavery, underscoring the shared values underpinning the growing partnership between the two nations.
As part of the State Visit programme, President Mnangagwa is also expected to tour the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC), a leading private specialist hospital in West Africa that has provided comprehensive cancer care and oncology services since 2011. The facility offers advanced diagnostic and treatment services to both local and international patients.
Under President Mnangagwa’s administration, Zimbabwe’s health sector is undergoing modernisation, with institutions such as Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare and Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo being upgraded to provide specialised medical services.
The President is further scheduled to visit the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant, where he will receive briefings on Ghana’s advances in waste management and environmental sustainability.
The waste management engagements are expected to complement Zimbabwe’s own environmental reforms under Vision 2030, including the transformation of the former Pomona dumpsite in Harare — previously a major environmental hazard — into a modern waste to energy facility operated by Geo Pomona Waste Management (Private) Limited.
President Mnangagwa will also tour the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, where he is expected to lay a wreath at the tomb of Ghana’s founding leader, Kwame Nkrumah.
Nkrumah led Ghana to independence in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to break from British colonial rule, and played a pivotal role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union.
President Mnangagwa is accompanied by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbra Rwodzi, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, Attorney General Ms Virginia Mabiza, Deputy Chief Secretary Mr George Charamba and several other senior Government officials.
Online Reporter