Online Reporter
Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
EGYPT’S Ambassador to Zimbabwe Salwa Mowafi’s term of office expires next month. We publish here, excerpts of her interview with Gibson Nyikadzino.
My term in Zimbabwe is about to expire. This was my first ambassadorial posting and I was very lucky actually to start here in Zimbabwe. Why? Because Zimbabwe is still on the same plateau of our dear Africa and is an African sister. It’s a country that on the leadership level, we have best relations. We both share almost similar views on many international and African regional issues. So, for me, it was very comforting.
In terms of the significant acts of cooperation that I managed to initiate during my term, I would like to mention a few. There was the pharmaceutical sector. Now we see Egyptian medicine in public hospitals here in Zimbabwe.
This is something that is impacting the life and the health of Zimbabweans. And it is something that we are very glad to do, provide help with our medicine here for the welfare and the well-being of the Zimbabwean people. In remote areas and in cities, Egyptian medicine is now being administered, very effective and reasonably priced. I would name mainly the pharmaceutical and construction sectors.
Speaking about the construction sector, we signed an excellent agreement (MoU), for the construction of the Mount Hampden new administrative city. We are looking forward to the implementation of this MoU, and it is something that would bring the old experience, which we are ready to share Zimbabwe, in the field of design, infrastructure, construction management, layout and everything. We’re ready to share this experience. We have done great in Egypt and we wish to share this expertise.
We have a big renowned and prestigious contractor and companies in Egypt who are actually working here in Zimbabwe in the field of the renewable energy. And this is a mega project coming soon in Zimbabwe. This actually reflects the interest our companies have in cooperating with Zimbabwe. And we think that it will grow more and more, year after year.
First, the trade exchange volume between the two countries have been doubled lately. It is something that we are very proud of. We are also making connections between the businesses here in Zimbabwe and Egypt.
I tried hard to make people know about Egypt here and to connect the businesses and now they are working together and getting acquainted. There is also interest for people to know more about Egypt as a tourist destination. This interest increased a lot from where we started. Last year, we achieved a record number of tourists visiting Egypt. This year, it will be massive. This has also increased people to people cooperation.
Inspiration to African women
As a female ambassador sent to another African country, I was widely respected here. In Egypt, women are very strong, highly motivated and empowered. I found the same here that Zimbabwean women are very powerful, they have strong personalities. It is something that made me feel there is a very bright future for Africa, women and men and children.
My special moments of interaction came when I met some of the young female students and also women from remote areas and young girls. It was something good for them to see that women can achieve something, can work hard and do something to help not only their country, but also the whole African continent. We are all sisters and brothers. We are the children of this land called Africa that is rich in culture, rich in capabilities. Don’t let the stereotypes and what they say about Africa stop you.
Speaking about Africa and elsewhere, there are global changes that are happening, yet there are challenges in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and Libya. For Egypt the main thing that we are working hard for is achieving and restoring peace and stability in these areas, Libya, Sudan and of course, in Gaza.
It all has to happen through reverting to diplomatic means and solving the problems and the conflicts through dialogue. This is the best civilised way of dealing with all these situations that do exist there. For Gaza, we see that the only solution is through the two-state solution. The establishment of the Palestinian state on the borders on 4th of June 1967 is crucial and it actually will be the only solution in our point of view in order to solve this and to restore peace and stability in the Middle East.
Like all African countries, we are keen about the reform of the UN mechanism and of course for the expansion of the membership in the Security Council and also to deal with the veto system. This is actually the main thing that we think can deal with all the challenges that the world is facing currently.
There are of course lots of African solutions for African problems and Africa is working hard in order to tackle most of these cases. The number one initiative that’s very valuable is silencing the guns all over Africa. Yes, that’s very important. And again, reverting to the diplomatic ways of solving the problems, all the problems can be solved through dialogue and good offices. This is how we can restore the peace and security in Africa and will not give any chance for any problems to erupt afterwards. So that’s in our view very essential.
Peter Tanyanyiwa