The Government of National Unity has made various efforts and initiatives in engaging the Non-Resident-Zimbabweans (NRZ) in trying to revive the Economy and rebuild the Country. The various efforts need to be properly co-ordinated as part of official Government policy.
Currently it appears the various initiatives are trail and error ad hoc measures which lack formal recognition in Government structures as reflected in various ministries. As a starting point the GNU should have created a Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. The individual so appointed as Minister of Diaspora Affairs would then co-ordinate Government policy with outsiders such as Non Governmental Organizations, foreign Governments and other relevant stakeholders.
There is general need to move from being a talk show and sloganeering to actual implementation which will convince NRZ that indeed the Government is committed to assist Zimbabweans who may want to return to do so. And also assist those who may not wish to.
The creation of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs is an important step for several reasons. Firstly it will provide a central focused structure and systematic treatment of Diaspora issues The are various regulatory and legal issues which need to be pushed through parliament regarding the NRZ ,the Minister of Diaspora Affairs .There are certain issues which are unique and specific to the NRZ and these have to be handled at a Ministriel level and not as a side after thought matter.
It is widely reported that more than 4 million Zimbabweans are now based in South Africa, Botswana, UK, NZ, Australia, USA ,Canada and other countries. This is such a huge section of the population that its issues and needs can not be represented on a part time basis but rather at the highest level possible including Parliament and Cabinet.
As a starting point the Minister for Diaspora Affairs may be a junior Minister of state. This will cut on costs but allow effective policy formulation and efficient execution of Government policy.
Parliamentary seats reserved for Diaspora representatives and nominees is an additional enhancement measure to ensure that Zimbabwe does not lose the NRZ to the countries where they are now based. As indicated above there is need to ensure that the NRZ are not represented in a manner that does not fully acknowledge that Zimbabwe’s Economic revival is partly dependent on the NRZ input. The on going new constitutional reform process must acknowledge the NRZ by allocating 10 or so Parliamentary seats for all the major global geographical areas such that Europe, Botswana, South Africa, USA, Canada etc will each elect an NRZ to represent those in the Diaspora. This inclusive process will ensure that Zimbabwe will in the long term continue to benefit from those who left and may not return to resettle in the Country.
Zimbabwe Embassies must be re-geared to serve Diaspora in as much as it they strive to attract foreign tourists. If harnessed properly with at least 4 million NRZ the Diaspora can single handedly revive Zimbabwe’s tourist sector. The statistics of the number of Zimbabweans out side remains guesswork and this is unfortunate because in terms of planning and policy formulation accurate numbers are needed. A census maybe necessary especially on the number of trained professionals and their specific field. This will assist in assessing how the skills and execution gap can be closed.
This article appears as courtesy of GMRI Capital ( http://www.gmricapital.com ) prepared for 3MG MEDIA
Gilbert Muponda is a Founder and CEO of GMRI Capital ( http://www.gmricapital.com ). He can be reached at;
Email: gilbert@gilbertmuponda.com .
Skype ID: gilbert.Muponda
Twitter ; http://twitter.com/gmricapital
Facebook ; http://www.facebook.com/muponda
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