Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
Zimbabwe’s delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is capitalising on the global spotlight to advance its economic diplomacy agenda.
The glitz and glamour that illuminated the Paris 2024 Olympic Games official opening was the peak for Zimbabwe’s delegation as they took the opportunity to intensify the country’s engagement and re-engagement agenda.
A key focus of the visit was strengthening ties with France.
Vice President Chiwenga met with French President, Emmanuel Macron, French business organisations, World Health Organisation officials, and other several heads of state with a view to strengthen bilateral ties with Zimbabwe.
”We met with Presidents and business people. We had discussions with France’s President on furthering our engagements and collaborations. We spoke to a lot of world leaders who are here in France. We spoke with World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General and Charles Michel, president of the European Council who expressed his desire for constructive dialogue. We also spoke to the head of the United Nations who relayed greetings to President Mnangagwa. But France’s President emphasised the need to increase collaboration between the two countries,” he said.
Beyond diplomacy, the delegation aimed to garner support for Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry’s bid for the International Olympic Committee presidency.
“We have our Honourable Minister who is also in the line-up to the IOC. And, yes that was our main purpose, to give her support, so that I think everything, you know, put on the table, she is likely to get to the top of the post. That’s what is, what was important,” he added.
Vice President Chiwenga further highlighted the importance of sport in inculcating discipline considering that most of the country’s athletes are pursuing different academic pathways across the globe.
“I was asking one of our athletes and I said, you are doing law, but what makes you now go for swimming? What makes you do psychology? What makes you do operations? What makes you do engineering? So these are not only just the sportsmen, they are also doing their various degrees, you see. So once you are a sportsperson, you become self-disciplined. And in whatever you do, you succeed. People don’t just take sport just as you get somebody. you can get somebody who is committed only to do sport. But most of our athletes or our Olympians, they are all doing different academic, pursuing different academic qualifications,” he highlighted.
The planned visit by Mouvement des Entreprises de France has been the highlight of the visit as the French business organisation represents more than 7 000 businesses in France, and their willingness to invest in Zimbabwe is expected to bring a new dimension to the political and economic relationship between the two countries.
