President Mnangagwa Set For Visionary Award

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to receive a 21st Century Visionary Award from African religious leaders attending the Pan African Religious Leaders Assembly (PARLA) Summit in Bulawayo.

The award recognises what the religious leaders described as his visionary leadership and Zimbabwe’s ongoing socio-economic transformation.

The five-day summit began in Bulawayo yesterday, bringing together religious leaders and delegates from 36 African countries under the theme: “Rise Up: From Dependency to Self-Sufficiency-Every Nation is Built by Its Own People.”

The delegates said their journey from Harare to Bulawayo gave them an opportunity to witness development projects across the country, particularly road construction, infrastructure development and the availability of services outside the capital.

Reverend Annette Dann, representing the United States, said the developments she witnessed had strengthened her belief that President Mnangagwa was turning his plans into practical projects.

“President Mnangagwa is a real visionary. It is not only about saying what you want to do. Some people simply say what they want to do, while others actually implement what they say they want to do,” she said.

“We can see what he has done and it is beautiful. We hope that other countries and leaders in Africa will follow his example to be visionary leaders who take action and do not just speak about what they want to achieve but actually begin to implement their plans. So, we are honoured to be able to honour him.”

Rev Dann said travelling by road between the two cities allowed her to observe developments beyond Harare.

“We travelled from Harare to Bulawayo by bus and were amazed by the road construction, infrastructure and electricity. It is a beautiful country, and it is doing well in terms of development,” she said.

“It is a great example to other countries in Africa of how they can begin to develop and grow their countries.”

She also highlighted the presence of businesses and essential services along the route as an indication of economic activity outside the capital.

“There are restaurants, filling stations, and all kinds of things that people need, even when they are outside the capital city,” she said.

Rev Dann further praised efforts to attract businesses and investment into Zimbabwe, saying this could create employment and economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people.

“It seems that the country is open to other businesses coming in and that is a blessing for people in the country because those companies bring jobs and opportunities for Zimbabweans, especially women and young people,” she said.

Secretary-General of the Global Council for Churches in Africa (CCA) and PARLA, Dr Wallah Wilson, also praised what he described as President Mnangagwa’s action-oriented leadership.

Dr. Wilson said the developments witnessed along the Harare-Bulawayo route reflected the impact of government policies and projects.

“We hope that other countries and other leaders in Africa will follow his example to be visionary leaders who take action and do not just speak about what they want to achieve but actually begin to implement their plans so that the people of the country have more opportunities,” he said.

President of the CCA Uganda Chapter, Reverend Elios Bizimenyera, said African religious leaders had travelled to Zimbabwe to celebrate the country’s development and recognise what she described as President Mnangagwa’s transformational leadership.

“I am here to join other African brothers and sisters to celebrate the visionary leadership of Zimbabwe and recognise the great work that has been done,” she said.

“We travelled all the way from Harare to Bulawayo, and we are honoured to see the beauty of this country and its development.”

Rev Bizimenyera said the award also reflected the religious leaders’ support for stronger cooperation among African countries.

“We want to recognise you, sir, as a wonderful and loving father and a transformational leader for loving Africa and working together as a family of God,” she said.

However, Rev Bizimenyera called for greater empowerment of women, urging authorities to create more opportunities for their participation in leadership and development.

CCA Rwanda Chapter leader Jean Baptiste Ntihabose also commended President Mnangagwa’s leadership, saying developments taking place in Zimbabwe demonstrated efforts to transform the country and expand opportunities for citizens.

The planned recognition is in line with the broader objectives of the PARLA Summit, which focuses on self-sufficiency, economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, agriculture, skills development and investment across Africa.