Mnangagwa at the United Nations to share the story of a reinvigorated nation

President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is in the United States to attend the 73^rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, his first since he became President, says he is there to share the “story of a nation reinvigorated, a hope reborn and a dream renewed”.

Mnangagwa left for the United States yesterday soon after swearing in a new Minister of State for National Security, Owen Ncube, and appointing new permanent secretaries, reassigning others and retiring nine, including registrar-general Tobaiwa Mudede.

Mnangagwa also presented his State of the Nation Address on Tuesday but legislators from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change walked out during his address in support of their party leader Nelson Chamisa who insists that he won the election but was robbed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Chamisa’s campaign, however, seems to be losing steam while investors seem to be scrambling to get into Zimbabwe despite negative election reports by the United States and European Union observer groups.

Mnangagwa has already obtained $500 million in new credits for private companies to ease the foreign currency shortages.

Outgoing British ambassador to Zimbabwe Catriona Laing said that London would fully support any plan for an interim agreement with the IMF.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube says that the government has not decided whether it wants to apply for a debt reduction programme with the World Bank and the IMF.

Zimbabwe has arrears with the World Bank and the African Development Bank worth some $1.8 billion.

Ncube also says he wants to abandon bond notes before the end of this year but says they remain legal tender and no one should reject them.

Apart from a cabinet that now stands at 21, which is still much smaller than that of his predecessor, Mnangagwa seems to be making all the right moves.

He toured the cholera epicenter of Glen View yesterday together with Harare mayor Herbert Gomba who is from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change but he promised to work closely with him to end the water crisis in the capital.

With his own five-year mandate, observers say Mnangagwa has all the time he needs to win back the urban support that his party has lost to the MDC.

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