Online Reporter
Zimpapers Politics Hub
Harare is open to more investment from China and wants to learn from world-class cities from the world’s second-largest economy, according to City Mayor, Jacob Mafume.
Speaking during a cultural carnival in Borrowdale on Saturday to mark the forthcoming Chinese New Year, Mr Mafume, said the city is actively seeking to deepen its ties with China to spur economic growth and urban development.
“We are delighted by the Chinese cooperation that is there with the people of Zimbabwe. We believe that our ties can only grow stronger, and now we are trying to improve our economy, give jobs to the people, educate our people and this is the perfect time for us to intensify our relations and to make sure that the cultures are mixed,” Mr Mafume said.
In an invitation to potential investors, Mr Mafume said: “Our office, the Mayor’s office, is open to investors, is open to people to come through, so that we can discuss the many areas of cooperation that we can have as a city and we will assist as much as we can to make sure that there’s more investment in Harare.”
He underscored the existing positive impact of Chinese engagement, noting that several Chinese companies have contributed to the growth of the capitfal.
“We are happy as the City of Harare to be hosting a lot of Chinese companies in our city. Chinese investment has brought jobs, has brought development, has brought growth to the city in many ways.”
The Mayor outlined his vision for the capital, saying Chinese expertise can help Harare to achieve its ambition to become a world-class city.
“This is what Harare ought to be, this is what Harare needs to be. Harare needs to be part of the developed cities and has a lot to learn from the developed cities in China. We know that China has world-class cities, and we can only go better by learning from other cultures and also mixing our cultures.
The Mayor also celebrated the growing cultural links, saying the intersections of Zimbabwean and Chinese culture are good for the city.
Featuring performances, traditional dress and cuisine, the event was attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding and several senior Government officials.
