Online Reporter
Edward Zvemisha
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE and Tanzania are broadening their bilateral agenda to prioritise economic integration, targeting joint ventures in agriculture, mining, dairy production and human capital development, alongside women’s empowerment programmes, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Minister Mutsvangwa revealed the new push yesterday after holding talks with Tanzanian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Susan Kaganda, who paid a courtesy call at her offices in Harare.
“It is important that businesses that operate in Zimbabwe and Tanzania can be in partnerships and transform the lives of our people.
“There are a lot of things which we can learn from each other,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
At the heart of the discussions was grassroots financial empowerment. Minister Mutsvangwa expressed particular interest in Tanzania’s Village Community Bank (VICOBA) model, a successful community-led savings and financing scheme that has mobilised resources at the village level.
She disclosed that Zimbabwe is actively exploring the establishment of a cooperative banking facility to help women, youths, and small-scale entrepreneurs conduct transactions safely and conveniently.
The initiative, she added, will require close engagement with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to strengthen financial inclusion for marginalised groups.
“We want to create a conducive environment where our women, our youths, and people with disabilities can work with those in Tanzania,” she said.
Beyond finance, the two countries are eyeing increased exchange programmes to transfer technical expertise in mining, agriculture, and dairy production.
Minister Mutsvangwa noted that Zimbabwean women farmers could learn valuable lessons from their Tanzanian counterparts on scaling up production.
“We want to see what our women farmers are doing, to see how we can scale up production,” she said.
The Minister also raised concerns over traditional cooking methods that expose families to harmful smoke from firewood and cow dung.
She revealed that her Ministry is planning a symposium to raise awareness on the health effects of such practices, while advocating for a rapid shift towards renewable energy.
With Africa enjoying abundant sunshine, she argued that nations must increasingly explore clean energy solutions to improve household health and productivity.
“We want a healthy nation. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation,” she said.
The Minister applauded Tanzania’s progress in renewable energy as a benchmark for Zimbabwe, recalling her participation in a side event led by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
In a broader reflection on gender progress, Minister Mutsvangwa highlighted that the SADC region is the only bloc in Africa with two female Heads of State — Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“SADC is very proud because we are the only region in Africa with two female presidents,” she said.
Ambassador Kaganda echoed the Minister’s sentiments, saying women remain central to household economic wellbeing and that empowering them financially has a direct impact on family growth and stability.
She said Tanzania is keen to deepen the exchange of ideas and skills with Zimbabwe, with cooperation extending beyond women’s empowerment to sectors such as mining, agriculture, and dairy production.
The Ambassador also highlighted Tanzania’s cooperative development experience, including the establishment of a cooperative bank, as a valuable knowledge-sharing opportunity for Zimbabwe.
While acknowledging that financial constraints remain a hurdle to implementing some proposed programmes, Ambassador Kaganda expressed optimism that stronger bilateral cooperation could help overcome these challenges.
She called for greater trade between ordinary people and businesses, saying products available in Tanzania should find markets in Zimbabwe and vice versa.
