The government says that high on Zimbabwean ambassadors’ roles in whichever country they are accredited is economic diplomacy.
To that end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will set targets for the diplomats and those who fail to achieve them will be recalled.
This was revealed by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on Monday. He said:
His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) will not just deploy, but he will ensure that he deploys ambassadors who have the same vision and thrust of economic diplomacy.
We have taken time to train our ambassadors before deployment this time so that we reorient them and they have got specific targets and their targets are given like for every quarter how many tourists have come from your country of accreditation.
We can count easily your performance, how many companies or investors have come from your country of accreditation and what new markets have you secured for this country.
We can measure that so that we have a Pro-forma which they fill to say this is what I have done and this is what I have not done and we can assess.
If an ambassador cannot perform, the President has the prerogative to recall that ambassador so we prefer to have performing ambassadors.