Zimbabwe and Ghana deepen bilateral ties through Diaspora engagement study visit

THE Governments of Zimbabwe and Ghana have deepened their bilateral relations with a study visit aimed at enhancing collaboration on diaspora engagement.

The initiative is supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Key officials led by Mrs Sienzeni Mateta who is Director for the Diaspora and Bilateral Trade Unit and was head of the delegation, visited Ghana from 24 to 29 June in coordination with IOM to enhance their capacity in working on diaspora engagements.

This initiative was realised within the framework of the projects on “Southern African Migration Management (SAMM)” and “Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience (SDE4R)” funded by the European Union (EU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) respectively.

This is also within the efforts that support the Zimbabwean Government’s efforts to review and enhance the implementation of its National Diaspora Policy (2016), which seeks to harness the contributions of the diaspora towards the country’s socio-economic development and attainment of its Upper Middle-Income status by 2030.

The delegation engaged in a series of high-level meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts and included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development, the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA), the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).

They were joined by the Zimbabwean Embassy team in Ghana.

During the five-day visit, they engaged in high-level technical discussions with Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President.

The delegation also attended a knowledge and capacity-building session at the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) at the University of Ghana and visited the Ghana Beyond the Return Secretariat at the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) to learn about diaspora engagement initiatives, investment opportunities and business support for diaspora entrepreneurs.

Meetings with the remittances company Zee Pay and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations provided insights into remittance services and employment policies.

The Zimbabwe delegation visited a successful diaspora project, engaged with the Ghanaian diaspora community, and met with a well-established hometown association to discuss community-level engagement.

They discussed the Diaspora Engagement Policy, the development of the Inter-Sectoral Implementation Committee (ISIC), and various programmes targeting the youth, such as the Diaspora National Service Scheme and internship programs.

The delegation also explored Ghana’s innovative approaches to diaspora remittances, the historic Year of Return initiative, and the expansion of the Ghana Card by the National Identification Authority.

The visit highlighted how Ghana has effectively harnessed the potential of its diaspora for national development, offering valuable insights that will inform the review and enhancement of Zimbabwe’s National Diaspora Policy.

The visit underscores the importance of South-South cooperation, learning from successful models to foster stronger ties and more robust engagement with the diaspora.

Ms Mateta paid tribute to the two Governments and IOM Ghana, and IOM Zimbabwe for coordination and support in making this benchmarking visit a success.

“This initiative exemplifies the Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approach, demonstrating the power of collaborative efforts in achieving national development goals,” she said.

@ncubeleon