Zimbabwe, which has been affected by prolonged El Nino induced drought, on Thursday, September 19 took delivery of a 1000-metric ton maize flour donation from Rwanda.
The drought has rendered half of Zimbabwe's more than 15 million population food insecure during the 2024-2025 season.
Rwanda's Ambassador to Zimbabwe James Musoni presented the donation to Zimbabwe's Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe at the Grain Marketing Board's Aspindale Depot in the capital Harare.
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It is the second such donation the Southern African country has received from Rwanda in 2024.
In April this year, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a nationwide state of disaster in Zimbabwe due to the severe El Nino weather phenomenon, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis across southern Africa.
"In the spirit of 'ubuntu', his counterpart and brother His Excellency, Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda heard it and immediately responded to the call by dispatching a consignment of 1000 metric tons of maize to Zimbabwe," Musoni said.
"Africanism and Rwanda's culture specifically, call us to stand in solidarity with each other during difficult times. In the same spirit, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have been supporting each other."
For example, Musoni said, in 2019 Rwanda supported Zimbabwe during Cyclone Idai and Zimbabwe supported Rwanda in 2023 when heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in Western, Northern, and Southern provinces of Rwanda, causing the deaths of more than 130 people and damaged several infrastructures.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed," Musoni said.
Accepting the donation from Rwanda, Garwe, who described Rwanda as an all-weather friend to Zimbabwe, said: "I am very grateful to the Government of Rwanda for responding positively to the clarion call for support by the Government of Zimbabwe following the 2023/24 El Nino induced drought disaster that we are grappling with. This is a clear demonstration of our seamless relationship."
"As I receive this donation with a deep sense of gratitude, I wish to highlight that the donation will go a long way in cushioning the cereal requirements for the affected communities. The Government will ensure that the donation being received reach the intended last-mile beneficiaries who were targeted on a needy basis."
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Commenting on the growing bilateral relations between Rwanda and Zimbabwe, Musoni said the two countries enjoy cordial relations which are being enhanced by Presidents Kagame and Mnangagwa through high-level visits and political support.
Mnangagwa attended Kagame's Presidential Inauguration in Kigali on August 11. Kagame had attended the Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls in April 2023. "This shows the commitment of both our presidents to collectively advance our bilateral cooperation," Musoni said.
"Our cooperation was further explored and cemented by the Joint Permanent Commission on cooperation with the first meeting hosted by Rwanda 2020 and the second meeting in Zimbabwe in 2023."
He said in deepening the scope of bilateral relations more than twenty strategic MoUs and agreements have been signed, with a good number of them already under the implementation process.
"This is not only to strengthen our bilateral cooperation but also to unlock the immense potential of both our countries and citizens," Musoni said.
"We have experienced the fruitfulness of our cooperation. Under socio-economic development to mention a few: both countries have been hosting the business forum on a rotation basis, the recent one took place in Rwanda in March 2024 and several businesses are being registered and established in Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively."
Musoni said Zimbabwe has been contributing to Rwanda's human capital development program whereby more than 150 educational personnel have been deployed in Rwanda to reinforce the teaching working force since 2022.
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Garwe said Zimbabwe is satisfied with the cooperation with Rwanda in areas such as trade and investment, mining, education, tourism and agriculture, among others.
"Overall, the cooperation between Zimbabwe and Rwanda is poised to enhance economic growth, promote cultural exchange, and strengthen bilateral relations," he said.
Garwe said Rwanda and Zimbabwe have a very special bilateral relationship based on selflessness and mutual interests.
"The bilateral relations are being fostered through various cooperation agreements. During the Zimbabwe-Rwanda Trade and Investment Conference held in Harare in 2022, the two nations signed some memorandums of cooperation that are aimed at enhancing trade and investment between the two nations with the view of improving the standard and quality of life of the people of Rwanda and Zimbabwe," Garwe said.
"Overall, the cooperation between Zimbabwe and Rwanda is poised to enhance economic growth, promote cultural exchange, and strengthen bilateral relations," he said
