Zimbabwe’s Minister announces plans to adopt China’s rural development

Beaven Dhliwayo

Group Features Editor

CHINA’S experience revitalizing and industrializing rural areas provides valuable lessons for Zimbabwe as it seeks to accelerate progress in its own rural development.

This was said recently by Women’s Affairs minister Monica Mutsvangwa while addressing the first Harare Forum for Africa and academic week on “Mutual Learning between Chinese and Zimbabwean Civilisations and Rural Development Cooperation organized by China Zimbabwe Exchange Centre.

Monica Mutsvangwa, Women’s Affairs minister 

CZEC is a non-governmental organization in Zimbabwe dedicated to advancing cultural and socio-economic development and has been in operation for more than 5 years.

Over the years, CZEC has acquired many links with government institutions, Chinese investment portfolios, and embassies across Africa which has made it possible for CZEC to serve as a bridge between China and Zimbabwe and advance the national development agenda.

The forum seeks to help China and Zimbabwe share ideas on rural development.

“With China’s economic growth experience over the past few decades being noteworthy, we look forward as a nation to tap into the best practices used as we look to grow our culture-based value chains and accelerate the progress of rural development.

“It will be through platforms such as the Harare Forum for Africa that this can come to fruition,” she said.

“The platform provided by this forum has given a unique opportunity for China and Zimbabwe to develop new synergies for cooperation in the areas of cultural promotion, exchange, the development and rejuvenation of rural economies.

“With the mutual inter-change of ideas and their modification and adoption being key to sustainable growth, it is expected that this forum works as a catalyst for positive interaction and cooperation for both countries,” Mutsvangwa added.

The minister said in Zimbabwe the majority of citizens lived in rural areas and it was critical to modernise their communities.

“It is essential to focus sustainable development initiatives in these areas so as to improve the standards of living of rural residents.

“In line with this realisation, the government is focusing substantial efforts and resources through various ministries and entities to undertake a number of rural development programmes meant to better the lives of the rural population.”

On his part, the Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding, said the two countries’ development depended on continuous sharing of ideas.

“Both China and Zimbabwe were ancient civilisations with a time honoured history. Both of us attach great importance to our own traditions and unique cultural heritage, which we believe can serve as a catalyst for our modern modernisation drive.

“We believe that we can draw lessons, inspirations, wisdom, and strengths from our own cultures and traditions in dealing with global challenges confronting us nowadays,” he said.

“Both China and Zimbabwe deem it vital to respect cultural diversity, to deepen exchanges and mutual learning between the countries.

“Last year, around 300 Zimbabweans participated in various training programmes in China.

“We believe that frequent mutual visits and exchanges between us serve the goal of strengthening our bilateral relations and benefit Zimbabwe’s economic and social progress, particularly Zimbabwe’s rural development and quality reduction of efforts,” said Zhou.