'No to megaphone criticism'

Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs and International Relations Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, has urged citizens living abroad to refrain from public criticism of national leaders and instead support the country's efforts toward international cooperation and development.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Annual Diaspora Conference in Vumba on Thursday, Minister Murwira emphasized that under the Second Republic, Zimbabwe is pursuing a "mature and stable foreign policy" that prioritizes peaceful coexistence and mutual respect with other nations.

"In the Second Republic, I repeat, we are pursuing a stable and mature foreign policy. We no longer want people who stand on television and start shouting at people. For what?" he said. "You think you can just go and start shouting, in the process exposing 16 million people because of your mouth that is not disciplined."

Murwira said Zimbabwe's foreign relations are now guided by a doctrine developed under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's leadership, aiming to protect the country's citizens and maintain national dignity on the global stage.

He cautioned against what he called "megaphone diplomacy" - public criticism of the government or international partners - warning that such actions could harm the country's development prospects. "Why talk under the influence on issues of national importance?" he asked. "If you are angry, do not talk. Go in a corner and pray."

The Minister stressed that Zimbabweans, wherever they are in the world, bear the responsibility to contribute to nation-building. "Whether you are here or outside, it is your responsibility to build your country," he said. "You surely cannot come back home and expect to get clean water, good food and all nice things, but you were busy working against the provision of clean water, good food and nice things wherever you were."

Murwira also reiterated Zimbabwe's policy of "friend to all, enemy to none," adding that the nation supports the sovereign equality of states and rejects adversarial relationships.

"If you have complaints, come and complain here. If you complain while out there, they will think that you are mad. Let us talk about how we can make this place better," he said.

In his welcoming remarks, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, called on diaspora Zimbabweans to step up their participation in the country's economic development.

"This conference comes at a time when our Government, ably led by President Mnangagwa, is pushing for diaspora participation in the economic development of the country," he said. "The diaspora community is a key constituency in our national growth. Through His Excellency, we are seeing the true meaning of the mantra - leaving no one and no place behind."

The three-day conference aims to deepen dialogue between the Government and Zimbabweans abroad, focusing on strategies to boost remittances, investment, and knowledge transfer.