Mnangagwa gets French boost




Remy Rioux
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PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra seems to be resonating with the Western hemisphere, with the French Development Agency (FDA) becoming the latest to show interest in the country.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA

FDA regional communications officer for Southern Africa, Chiara Frisone, this week said the French international investment arm’s chief executive officer, Remy Rioux, would be in Harare next month.

“Our CEO Remy Rioux will be visiting Zimbabwe on October 6 to 7 to meet with the President (Mnangagwa), central bank governor (John Mangudya), Minister of Finance (Mthuli Ncube) and other high level officials,” Frisone said.

“During this visit, an agreement between AFD and the government of Zimbabwe will be signed.”

While details regarding the nature of the agreement were still sketchy, Frisone said the visit would be an indication from France that it wants to do business with Zimbabwe.

“AFD’s visit to Zimbabwe is basically to say ‘we are back’,” Frisone said.

The President has already received a delegation from Germany led by Economic Co-operation and Development minister Gerd Muller, while the British have indicated they are willing to financially back Mnangagwa’s quest to craft an agreement with international finance institutions from which Zimbabwe had defaulted.

Zimbabwe is battling a crippling cash shortage and the economy is yet to respond to the appointment of a new 20-member Cabinet unveiled last week. – News Day