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Press statement
Global Forum Zimbabwe
December 10, 2007

The just ended historic first ever Zimbabwe Global Diaspora Conference has been hailed by many of its delegates and organisors as a huge success. The event was held at the Braamfontein Recreation Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Over 150 delegates drawn from all over the Zimbabwe Diaspora community across the world attended the conference. These included delegates from such countries as the USA. UK, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, among other countries.

The keynote address was given by the conference's guest speaker, Professor Ken Mufuka who is a veteran Zimbabwean academic based as the Lander University in South Carolina, in the USA.

There was also an array of inspirational papers on several topical issues affecting the 3-4 million Zimbabweans that are now living outside their homeland. These included among others speakers such as Grace Kwinjeh, Basildon Peta, Gabriel Shumba, Mandla-akhe Dube, Luke Zunga, Daniel Makina, Immanuel Hlabangana, Khethani Sibanda, Themba Shoniwa, Gardener Rusike, Tamuka Chirimambowa, Samukeliso Dube, Canaan Mhlanga, Violet Mariyacha, to mention but a few.

Solidarity messages were also received from several other speakers as Bishop Paul Verryn from the Johannesburg Central Methodist church and Patrick Baleni from the Western Sahara Solidarity Forum.

The conference also adopted several resolutions on the critical issues related to all Zimbabweans now living abroad.

These included among others the following issues:

• The launch of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Chamber that is going to be registered in South Africa as an investment facility for all those interested in setting up their own viable companies.
• The launch of the Zimbabwe Global Scholarship Fund to promote the human resources development capacity of all Zimbabweans now based in the Diaspora
• The launch of the Zimbabwe Global Merit Awards that shall seek to appreciate and celebrate the efforts of all institutions and personalities that have consistently brought fame and dignity to the Zimbabwean nation especially within the Diaspora communities.
• The launch of the first ever international network of all the Zimbabwean institutions and NGOs that are based in the Diaspora to be known as the Global Zimbabwe Forum. The new Forum is expected to set up its international Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.
• An Interim Committee of the Forum was also set up for a year tenure and consists of the following persons:

  1. Ms. Grace Kwinjeh - Chairperson
  2. Mr. Mandla-akhe Dube - Vice Chairperson
  3. Mr. Luke Zunga - Treasurer
  4. Mr. Daniel Molokele - Co-ordinator
  5. Ms. Violet Mariyacha - Committee Member
  6. Mr. Canaan Mhlanga - Committee Member
  7. Mr. Simbarashe Chimombe - Committee Member
  8. Mr. Tamuka Chirimambowa - Committee Member

For more details, please feel free to contact the Global Zimbabwe Forum through Mr. Daniel Molokele on +27 72 947 4815 and Ms. Grace Kwinjeh on +27 79 434 4508

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