Matabeleland still has the capacity to reclaim its tag as the country’s industrial hub if it is allowed to harness its hardworking people towards turning around the region’s economic fortunes, outgoing United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray has said.
Addressing journalists in Bulawayo yesterday as he wound up his three-year tour of duty, Ray described people from Matabeleland as “hardworking and passionate”.
“I would like to state firmly how much I have always enjoyed visiting Matabeleland and how much respect I have for the people here.
“This is a hardworking and passionate part of the country,” said Ray, who is leaving Zimbabwe at the end of this month.
“All Zimbabweans can and should be very proud of Matabeleland.
“This area will thrive once economic investment returns and the people are given a real chance to build a vibrant economy.”
The diplomat’s observation came a few days after former Industry and Commerce minister Nkosana Moyo urged people from the region to stop being crybabies and demand allocation of more resources.
The ambassador forecast a bright economic future for Zimbabwe, saying the country was at the moment being blighted by bad economic decisions which drove away investors and cost jobs.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He said scores of American investors were still making inquiries, but the “political risks seem to outweigh economic gains due to negative publicity”.
Ray would be replaced by David Bruce Wharton, who was the head of the US Public Affairs Department in Harare a decade ago.
