By King’s Office Correspondents
HARARE, ZIMBABWE – His Majesty King Mswati III has assured President Emerson Mnangagwa that he will soon deploy a team of experts, comprising the private sector and government to explore business opportunities.
The King said Eswatini is strong in the sugar industry and has developed skills hence the need to deploy a team which will come to explore opportunities around the agriculture sector. His Majesty’s gesture followed Zimbabwe’s President’s commitment to offering the King 50 000 hectares of land to do sugar cane farming.
The president said the King had asked for 100 000 hectares but felt 50 000 could be a good start. The King said the Kingdom has over decades developed and honed its skills around the sugar sector with thousands of Emaswatinow involved even in rural communities.
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The King said as a result of the challenge put forward by the President, he will send a team in the next few months to come and do a feasibility study in venturing into sugar cane farming in Zimbabwe.
“The team should comprise not only government officials but must be complemented by business people who will look at what we can do beyond just agriculture,” he said.
President Mnangagwa thanked His Majesty the King for accepting his invitation to pay them a State visit plus also being the Guest of Honor at the 63rd Edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
“Your acceptance of our invitation on very short notice is a selfless gesture which can only be accorded by a true friend and close brother,” he said.
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He said His Majesty the King’s presence is a further testimony of their fraternal relations and commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in the collective endeavour to uplift the lives of Zimbabweans and emaSwati. He said Zimbabwe in the Second Republic has experienced economic rejuvenation and growth with key sectors of the economy on a recovery path.
“The highlights include the adoption of our national vision 2030 and the Transformative National Economic Development Strategy. This has resulted in unprecedented growth milestones in agriculture,
mining, manufacturing, infrastructure development, tourism as well as in energy and power development. I challenge the private sector in our two countries to tap into the spill-off opportunities to increase
greater trade and investments across all sectors,” the President said.
