Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka
Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZIMBABWE’S engagement and investment drive under President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” policy continues to attract strategic regional and continental partnerships, with Nigeria’s Festival of Black and African Arts and Culture (FESTAC Africa) on Friday signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Zimbabwe Indigenous Miners Association (ZIMA).
The MOU will deepen cooperation in trade, tourism, culture and investment cooperation.
Signed in Bulawayo, the deal paves the way for collaboration ahead of the FESTAC Africa Renaissance Festival to be held in the city from September 21 to 26, while positioning Zimbabwe as a gateway for greater cultural diplomacy and intra-African economic integration.
The ceremony was attended by ZANU PF Politburo member and Secretary for Business Development Cde Elifasi Mashaba, FESTAC Africa chairman Engineer Yinka Abioye, ZIMA president Ms Silingiwe Masuku, Government officials, business leaders and representatives from across the continent.
In his remarks, Cde Mashaba said:
“For the first time in 60 years of FESTAC, the SADC region will host this Pan-African festival of our people, and Bulawayo, the City of Kings and Queens, has been chosen to carry that flame from September 21 to 26. This is not an accident.
“Today, under National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030, under the stewardship of His Excellency President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, we export our culture again, but now with trade and investment attached. This is what Africa togetherness means.”
Cde Mashaba said Zimbabwe’s cultural wealth, agriculture, mining and small-to-medium enterprises stood to benefit from the partnership.
He urged local entrepreneurs to seize opportunities presented by the festival.
“To our artists, prepare your canvas. To our farmers, prepare your harvest. To our SMEs and small miners, prepare your products. To SADC and Africa, come, trade here, invest here and celebrate with us here.”
Eng Abioye described Zimbabwe as the ideal destination to advance Africa’s cultural renaissance, saying the country’s liberation history, tourism assets and investment-friendly environment made it a natural partner for FESTAC Africa.
He commended President Mnangagwa for promoting Zimbabwe as a premier tourism and investment destination.
“We must explicitly celebrate His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, for his visionary, unwavering support of the youth and women of this nation.
“By promoting Zimbabwe as a premier global destination for tourism and trade, the President aligns perfectly with the core strategic pillars of FESTAC Africa.”
ZIMA president Ms Silingiwe Masuku said the agreement represented a historic milestone that united Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth with its rich cultural heritage.
“This partnership demonstrates that the mineral wealth we extract from our soil must always go hand in hand with the rich cultural heritage that defines our soul. True indigenous empowerment is the harmonisation of economic industry and cultural identity.”
Ms Masuku said the partnership would unlock new economic opportunities through tourism, business development and innovation.
