Ms Eyerusalem Fasika, newly appointed country manager for African Development Bank Group for Zimbabwe, has formally presented her credentials to the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
During an official ceremony held in Harare on 23 February, Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister Prof. Dr. Amon Murwira, congratulated Fasika on her appointment, noting that "she is no stranger to Zimbabwe, having previously served as the Bank's Principal Country Program Officer there from 2013 to 2018."
"AfDB is key in working with us to achieve our National Development Strategy goals," Murwira said, expressing his government's desire to further enhance its partnership with the African Development Bank Group in support of Zimbabwe's development priorities under the National Development Strategy (2026-2030).
Murwira commended the Bank Group for its "deep supporting role" for the nation's Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution (ACDR) Process. He further stressed the importance of its successful conclusion to enable Zimbabwe to unlock new sources of funding for its development agenda.
Zimbabwe is anticipating progress following the signing of the Staff Monitored Programme (SMP) with the International Monetary Fund in early February 2026, highlighting its role in strengthening macro-economic stability for sustainable economic recovery in line with Vision 2030.
"We are ready as a country to implement the necessary economic, governance, and land tenure reforms," Murwira said.
The minister further emphasized that "we value AfDB as a strategic partner" in advancing infrastructure development, private sector growth, industrialization, and climate resilience -- key pillars of Zimbabwe's economic diplomacy and re-engagement agenda. The minister concluded by reaffirming Zimbabwe's commitment to deepening cooperation with the African Development Bank, Africa's premier partner for sustainable development.
Ms Fasika thanked the minister for the warm welcome and reaffirmed the Bank's continued support to the people and government of Zimbabwe. She commended the government for reaching "the critical milestone of signing the Staff Monitored Programme.
"We will continue to support the people and Government of Zimbabwe as they implement the National Development Strategy and advance toward the objectives of NDS2," she said.
She highlighted that the Bank's ongoing programme prioritizes agriculture and agro-industrial value addition, energy, private sector development, and key social sectors to strengthen resilience and promote inclusive growth.
"Importantly, we will also continue to support the Government under the Structured Dialogue Platform on Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution," she said."
Ms. Fasika further emphasized that the Bank Group will continue to support Zimbabwe's Economic Reform Agenda in line with its four cardinal points. She reaffirmed that "the Bank remains fully committed to supporting implementation of these reforms and advancing progress toward sustainable debt resolution and long-term macroeconomic stability."
"Zimbabwe is a very important country to the AfDB," she concluded.
