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By Elvis Dumba
Chinhoyi – The Namibian Embassy Charge de Affairs, Zema Gawachas said a twinning arrangement between her country and Zimbabwe will see increased research on projects that promote food self-sufficiency at the grassroots level.
Namibia’s Okavango Province has a twinning arrangement with Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province with the two countries working on various developmental programs.
Gawachas said the two countries are seeking to revitalize a maize seed research program aimed at producing a drought-tolerant variety.
“As we enter the post-covid-19 era, it’s important that our two countries resuscitate the implementation of programs that promote food security. One of them is using plant science through studying nature’s store room to come up with homegrown needs and affordable drought-resistant maize seed variety through a muvhangovhango maize seed trial which was delayed due to covid-induced challenges,” she said.
Gawachas told this publication during an interview on the sidelines of Mashonaland West 75th Edition Agricultural Show.
She said she was impressed by Zimbabwe’s commitment to promoting ordinary citizens to participate in government policy implementation at local levels.
“I am impressed by the country’s process of decentralization and how covid has taught us so much that we cannot be dependent on outside help but ourselves. There is a need to increase the capacity that our people have to produce affordable seeds in order to become food self-sufficient,” she said.
Gawachas said she is happy to see the projects come to fruition.
“I am excited and looking forward to seeing our people learning new methods of being food self-sufficient. I look forward to the success of our two countries’ commitment to seeing these projects becoming success stories,” she said.
