Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere-Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe and Tanzania have laid the groundwork for this year’s Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation as they move to deepen economic ties.
This was said by Tanzanian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Suzan Kaganda, after her courtesy call on Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga at his Harare offices yesterday.
She said discussions centred on economic diplomacy and strengthening bilateral trade and tourism links.
Ambassador Kaganda confirmed that some Tanzanian companies will participate in this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) next month, setting the stage for the 9th JPCC planned to take place before July.
“Today, I had an opportunity to meet with the Vice President, and our discussions were based on our bilateral cooperation,” said Ambassador Kaganda.
“We discussed many issues on how we are going to promote our economies – that is basically economic diplomacy, looking at our trade and tourism.
“We also discussed how we are going to hold our 9th Joint Permanent Commission meeting, which is scheduled to be before July. So, we are looking forward to that meeting where various stakeholders will have an opportunity to review what we agreed upon and how we are going to take our cooperation forward and ensure that our people in Tanzania and in Zimbabwe benefit from this long lasting relationship, because we are bound by blood, not just by the signing of agreements.”
The ambassador said the emphasis on economic cooperation builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year between the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) and the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC).
“After the signing of that MoU, we are yet to see visits by businesspeople from Zimbabwe and Tanzania, they are still in discussions to identify areas where business, industry, mining and tourism can exchange knowledge and technology,” Ambassador Kaganda said.
“This requires government support to oversee the signing, push implementation and ensure that stakeholders party to this MoU follow through.
“We have realised that it has started to work because ministries have visited each other – the Ministry has come to Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe has gone there.
“For the coming ZITF, the team from Zimbabwe went to Tanzania to observe and learn how we do things. This year, Tanzania will be represented by some business enterprises at the exhibition, which has not been the case for the past two years. So, the signing has already borne fruit, and we expect to see more benefits following that signing.”
Ambassador Kaganda emphasised historical and cultural ties as a further driver of cooperation, saying the peoples of the two countries are “bound by blood” because of shared history in the liberation struggle and should therefore pursue common development goals.
She also referenced Tanzania’s strategic advantages, citing a World Bank analysis that highlights its geo-strategic location, diverse natural resources — including fertile land and mineral deposits — and demographic and market strengths that present opportunities for inclusive growth.
