Diaspora Zimbabweans Demand Investment Role Beyond Remittances

Zimbabweans living abroad have called on the government to create investment opportunities that allow them to contribute capital, skills and technology to national development beyond sending money home.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Diaspora Engagement in New York, held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dr Amson Sibanda, chief of national strategies and capacity building at UN DESA and coordinator of Zimbabweans in the Americas said the diaspora was ready to invest if the government provided transparent and viable projects.

He said remittances continued to support families and communities but did not necessarily translate into long-term economic partnerships between Zimbabweans abroad and the national economy.

“What we seek is something more durable, the chance to invest, to deploy our skills, to open our networks, to own a share of Zimbabwe’s future,” he said.