By Joyce Mukucha
As Zimbabwe re-engages the international community to foster goodwill and understanding in line with the nation’s mantra, ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’, the elected 2020 Junior Chamber International (JCI) World Presidential Candidate, Itai Manyere who will represent Africa and the Middle East is expected to use the opportunity to raise Zimbabwe’s profile.
He was successfully selected to run for the uppermost position in the JCI at the Africa and Middle East Conference which was held in Mauritius from the 1st to 4th May 2019.
Briefing the media in Harare on the 9th of September 2019, the Minister of Youths, Sports, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry said the country was gratified of Manyere’s achievement and wished him success in his campaign bid.
“If successful, our candidate will be the most visible face of the JCI Global Network and our national flag will be hoisted the entire year of his tenure of the office at the JCI World Headquarters in St Louis Missouri, USA. As a Youth Ambassador, he will have the opportunity to travel to more than 70 countries worldwide meeting Heads of Government, Business and Community Leaders.
“The nomination was not about Manyere, but about Zimbabwe. The nomination creates an opportunity to engage youths in the diaspora to support national investments efforts to grow the economy through remittances,” she said.
Her ministry, she said, was working with relevant Government Departments to facilitate the required diplomatic and financial support to guarantee that the nominee is successfully elected at the JCI World Congress in Tallin, Estonia from 4 to 8 November 2019.
“I would like to ensure him and the JCI that the Government of Zimbabwe is fully behind them and is committed to supporting them in every possible to make this election campaign successful,” Minister Coventry said.
She also urged all Zimbabweans, Development partners and the private sector to support the candidate in his election bid for he require financial and other resources to successfully run the campaign.
Manyere expressed his exhilaration as he said: “I’m very excited with this opportunity to be carrying the Zimbabwean flag in the diaspora where I will be travelling to next year to show people what young people, young Zimbabweans and young African are capable of doing when they are given a chance to shine. When I go out there, I will carry Zimbabwe throughout the campaign and make other young people believe in and be proud of being Zimbabwean.”
In Zimbabwe, JCI is registered under the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) as a Youth Leadership Development Organisation.
