BY Everson Mushava
Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira has urged Zimbabweans living in the diaspora to invest back home or risk losing out to foreign companies “stampeding” to set up investments in the country.
Mupfumira said this on Wednesday while addressing Zimbabweans based in Birmingham on the ninth day of her roadshow in the United Kingdom.
The Birmingham event coincided with the official launch of Zimthrive 2020, an ambitious project led by a Zimbabwean national Mike Tashaya, aimed at giving
those in the diaspora an opportunity to engage the government and find ways of contributing to national development.
“We are all Zimbabweans and don’t miss the opportunity to come and invest back home. A person should be measured with what she or he does for her or his own
country,” Mupfumira said.
“We don’t want you to repeat what happened during the land reform programme when most people started realising they needed land when it was already taken up by
others. Right now, while we are here, Russians, Chinese, Europeans and others are flocking to Zimbabwe to invest in energy, tourism, agriculture and other
areas.”
Mupfumira added: “Don’t be left out. The moment you realise you want to invest, all opportunities will be gone. A lot of foreign investors are coming to the
country in response to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.”
The Tourism minister, who was basking in glory after her ministry landed the 2019 Sustainable Green Award gong for Parks and Wildlife Management’s role in
wildlife conservation in Berlin, Germany three days ago, said the Mnangagwa administration was spearheading reforms to ensure ease of doing business in the
country.
Mupfumira said it was only Zimbabweans working with government who could turn around the economic challenges facing the country. She welcomed government’s
decision compelling hotels in Victoria Falls to pay for electricity in US dollars to reduce load shedding.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority acting chief executive officer Rita Likukuma said the organisation would work tirelessly to make sure that tourism continued to grow
and increase its contribution to the gross domestic product.
The roadshow will be in London today.
