Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
PRESIDENT MNANGAGWA yesterday dispatched four ambassadors-designate to the United States, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Cuba at State House in Harare.
Ambassador David Hamadziripi will represent Zimbabwe in the US, while Ambassador Isaac Moyo heads to the UAE.
Ambassador-designate Lovemore Mazemo will take over as Zimbabwe’s diplomat to South Africa, while Ambassador-designate Patrick Mutasa will assume the role of Zimbabwe’s representative to Cuba.
In an interview after a closed-door meeting with the President, Ambassador Hamadziripi said he would see through the continued thawing of ties between Harare and Washington during his tenure.
“I am going to the United States to represent our great nation of Zimbabwe and my mission is to see an improvement in the relations between Zimbabwe and the United States.
“We are going to pursue a relationship that is beneficial, a relationship that is respectful, a relationship that is going to bring benefits to both our nations.
“So that is my mission when I go to the US with the full confidence and support of His Excellency the President,” said Ambassador Hamadziripi.
President Mnangagwa
Ambassador-designate Mazemo said his main mission was to ensure sustained relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa across the board.
The two countries are strategic neighbours, who traditionally enjoy cordial political and economic relations.
“This is a country that is a very important neighbour, we enjoy very good political and economic relations.
“South Africa is a source of foreign direct investment, it is a large trade partner with us.
“In addition, we are each other’s trade route. A lot of our exports go to South Africa and South Africa’s exports to the rest of the continent also pass through.
“Tourism between us is quite huge and South Africa is also host to a large diaspora from Zimbabwe and we benefit a lot from their remittances,” he said.
Ambassador-designate Mazemo said he would also work on promoting Zimbabwe as a favourable investment destination.
“ . . . it (South Africa) is an important country, and we will do our best to build on what our predecessors have done to make sure that we deepen our relations, that we continue to get investors from the country, and our commodities, our exports continue to enjoy a good share of the South African attitude,” he said.
On his part, Ambassador Isaac Moyo said President Mnangagwa had directed him to pursue increased economic relations with the UAE.
Ambassadors-designate to South Africa Lovemore Mazemo Isaac Moyo, United Arab Emirates; David Hamadziripi, United States and Patrick Mutasa, Cuba, at State House in Harare yesterday.
“We got very clear instructions about the kind of national interest we must work for and we all understood what it is about; it is really the economy, the economy and the economy.
“And in my particular case in UAE, I am going to work to create opportunities, to bring business to this country (Zimbabwe), to enhance trade opportunities for this country.
“It is the economy and the politics that must serve that,” he said.
Ambassador-designate Patrick Mutasa said he was going to work on bolstering the already existing good relations between Zimbabwe and Cuba.
“Cuba is a very friendly country to Zimbabwe, in fact, Cuba and Zimbabwe are the best of friends since before independence.
“It supported the liberation struggle of this country since before independence, we have very good political, cultural and social relations,” he said.
The Zimbabwean diplomat said he would focus on improving economic relations between the two countries, considering that both are under US sanctions.
“ . . . but in terms of economic relations, we need to work on those very much.
“You are aware that Cuba is under intense American embargo and sanctions and therefore impoverished in that country and that means they have important areas where we can cooperate economically, like they are very good in the area of health, where we think we need to work on that,” he said.
Zimbabwe and Cuba already have agreements in place with respect to pharmaceuticals production.
As such, Amb Mutasa said he would work on ensuring that the agreements translate into action on the ground.
“There are agreements that have been signed in the areas of manufacturing of vaccines for both humans and animals.
“But the agreements are still largely on paper, so as I go to Cuba, those are some of the areas that I’m going to work on to ensure that those agreements are removed from paper and go onto the ground so that they benefit both Cuba and Zimbabwe,” he said.
The Ambassador-designate said he would also champion collaboration in the areas of sport and agriculture.
