By Anyway Yotamu.
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s outgoing Ambassador to Malawi, Ms. Hilda Suka Mafudze, has been appointed the African Union (AU) envoy to Washington DC, replacing Ambassador Arikana Chihombori Quao who was fired last November over alleged abuse of funds.
Suka Mafudze, who was appointed Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Malawi last year by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is expected to fly to Washington next week and is currently in the country after a recent visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the AU headquarters.
In an interview with Spiked Online Media, Ambassador Hildah Suka Mufudze expressed appreciation for the trust bestowed upon her to represent the continent in the US.
“I feel humbled and appreciative to be able to represent my continent in the US. I am certainly going to use this as an African to contribute better to the Africa we all want. As a true pan Africanist, I know what we really need as Africa and where we want to be as Africans. All this is in my heart and on my fingertips.” she said.
“What we want as Africa is to be on the global stage as equal with others. We have what it takes and no one must, therefore, look down upon us. As Africa, we are at a stage where we know what we want and we obviously cannot, for example, continue to let our resources be taken away as raw materials by people who by so doing are taking employment away from us. There are challenges on the continent, but we have to look at how to deal with those challenges and this opportunity is one way of finding solutions and I am humbled to be part of that,” said Ambassador Suka Mufudze.
Ambassador Hilda Suka Mafudze also spoke on her vision for the continent.
“I will contribute towards the AU vision on the intra-Africa trade and I will be alert to the need to entrench relations with the US. Let us not overlook the need for relations if we are to be competitive on the global space but that does not mean our inability to effectively manage what we have”, said Ambassador Suka Mufudze.
As she represents the chairman of the African Union in Washington, Africa must speak with one voice going forward in defining her destiny and harnessing opportunities through relations with the world, the US included.
“I represent the African Union, my chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat but I must also say I am humbled by the support I got from my country, Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and his entire administration. I am going to represent the whole continent and we want to engage the US and agree on issues where we can cooperate. As Africa, we need investment in infrastructure to have investors coming in and when they do come in, it should be on a win-win basis”, she said.
Between 2000 to 2005 Hildah Suka Mufudze served as MDC legislator for Manyame Constituency during the Government of National Unity (GNU). She was appointed the County’s Ambassador to Sudan until November 2019 when she was redeployed to represent the country in Malawi.
