PRESIDENT ROBINSON’S STATE VISIT TO ZIMBABWE

The President, Mr. Robinson and party arrived in Harare on
Saturday, 1 October 1994 to commence their State Visit to Zimbabwe.
The President received full state honours from President Mugabe
and Ministers of the Zimbabwean Government. There was also an
enthusiastic welcome from traditional drummers and singers and
from members of the Irish community.

On Saturday afternoon President Robinson attended the Jairos Jiri
charity horse show which raises funds for the disabled children of
the Jairos Jiri Centre in Harare. The President met children from
the Centre before watching the jump off in the international event
in which teams from Zimbabwe, Ireland and South Africa
participated. The home team won to the delight of the crowd.

Later the President, accompanied by Minister Tom Kitt and
officials, met President Mugabe and a Zimbabwean delegation for
talks. Following the talks the President was guest of honour at a
State Banquet in State House at which President Mugabe paid
tribute to the contribution of the Irish to Zimbabwe, especially
in its struggle for independence. He singled out members of Irish
religious communities for special praise and spoke also of his
desire to foster greater economic links between Zimbabwe and
Ireland © sentiments shared also by President Robinson in her
response.

On Sunday the President focused on Zimbabwe’s tourism industry and
following a visit to Victoria Falls and a boat trip on the Zambezi
River, she and Mr. Robinson were guests of honour at a dinner
hosted by the Minister for Environment and Tourism, Mrs Rushesha,
and attended by local tourism interests and civic leaders. In her
address Mrs Rushesha conveyed her appreciation of Ireland’s
support and assistance for the development of tourism in Zimbabwe.
President Robinson spoke of how greatly impressed she was during
her visit to Victoria Falls at the way in which Zimbabwe valued
one of the world’s greatest treasures. Her visit the following
day to the Hwange Game Park would help her to gain an appreciation
of the contribution of such parks to the preservation and
conservation of the great natural resources of the region. She
was glad that Ireland and Zimbabwe had been able to work together
in tourism development, which was so important for both countries.

On her return to Harare on Monday afternoon the President laid a
wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Heroes Acre; a
memorial park and burial ground for heroes of the Zimbabwean

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STATE VISIT TO ZIMBABWE
HARARE, 6 OCTOBER, 1994

Last night the President and Mr Robinson were guests of honour at
a Dinner hosted by the Mayor of Harare, Cllr. Charles Tawengwa,
and attended by civic leaders and members of the business
community.

The Mayor praised the role of Irish people in Zimbabwe, especially
in the fields of education, agriculture, women’s organisations and
the hotel and catering sectors. The work that they were doing
among rural communities slowed down the drift to the city and was
of practical benefit to the city. The peace and stability that
Harare had to offer made the city, which was enjoying a
construction boom at present, an attractive location for
investment, he said, and he was looking forward to improving links
with Ireland. In that regard he proposed to invite the Lord Mayor
of Dublin to enter into a twinning arrangement with Harare.

The President remarked that she would encourage the Mayor to
pursue the twinning proposal. She had hoped that her visit would
increase knowledge and understanding of Zimbabwe in Ireland and
lead to practical links. She had learned a great deal about the
modern Zimbabwe since arriving and now had a better appreciation
of the great strengths that the country possessed, including its
natural beauty, cultural heritage and friendly people. She spoke
of the long standing connections between Ireland and Zimbabwe and
hoped that there would be greater contact between both countries,
especially in matters of trade and commerce.

This morning the President and party visited the Supreme and High
Courts of Zimbabwe in Harare, where she was greeted on arrival by
the Chief Justice, the Judge President of the High Court and the
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs. She then met other members of the Supreme
and High Courts.

Afterwards the President visited the U.N.I.C.E.F. Goromonzi Rural
District Township Project which is involved in promoting health
and hygiene education and in a school Youth AIDS Education
programme. The Goromonzi district is situated just outside
Mashonaland East Province in an area that has above average
rainfalls. The resultant availability of surface water has
resulted in a number of water and sanitation related diseases
especially diarrhoea, dysentery and Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia).

During her time at the project the President visited a school
where children were receiving instruction in AIDS/HIV education.
She was shown an unprotected well and then a safe water source for
hand washing and new latrines for the schoolchildren..
At a nearby housing compound the President visited some houses to
see water sources, a new sanitation unit and traditional food
storage and cooking facilities.

In the afternoon the President, accompanied by President Mugabe,
will visit the Father Jerome O’Hea Memorial Clinic and St Francis
Xavier College in Kutama. President Mugabe was a pupil at the
college in the late 1930s and early 1940s during the time of Fr.
O’Hea, who was from Ireland.

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