HARARE – The Embassy of Rwanda in Zimbabwe was given a special award at the inaugural Public Relations and Communication Excellence Awards held in Harare.
The special award and recognition for the embassy’s visibility in Zimbabwe and its ability to communicate effectively on the socio-economic transformation of Rwanda.
The award ceremony was hosted by the Institute of Public Relations and Communication Zimbabwe, a private institution of higher learning specializing in Public Relations and media training.
Commenting on why the embassy of Rwanda was recognized with the special award, the organisers of the awards ceremony said: "It is about Rwanda’s engagement and communication on nation-building that has changed how people in Zimbabwe view Rwanda and how they speak about the country.”
Rwanda opened its embassy in Harare in February this year.
The embassy has been involved in several community and national initiatives such as the national clean-up exercise and is also active in engagements with captains of industry in Zimbabwe aimed at linking their products to markets in Rwanda.
Rwanda wants to strengthen bilateral and economic cooperation with Zimbabwe to boost trade and investment between the two countries.
In pursuance of this goal, Rwanda’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James Musoni, has featured at several business forums to strengthen linkages with productive sectors in Zimbabwe.
Rwanda embassy officials. / Courtesy
At the business forums, Musoni has extensively shared Rwanda’s socio-economic success story and its transformation from the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 which left Rwanda devastated to being a model country with the fastest growing economy in the sub Saharan Africa region.
Zimbabwe is keen to replicate Rwanda’s successful socio-economic model.
The Embassy of Rwanda has also been prominent in participating in government initiatives that involved foreign missions based in Harare.
Ambassador Musoni said the recognition is a reflection of Rwanda’s good governance system.
"This is a reflection of the whole system of governance in Rwanda,” Musoni said. "Rwanda is proud to have solid and sound leadership in President Paul Kagame whose good work is being cascaded here.”
Ambassador Musoni said the embassy in Harare has been able to implement policies as directed by Rwanda’s government.
The Institute of Public Relations and Communication Zimbabwe says a team of leading professionals and agency executives were among the panel of judges that recognized Rwanda’s work in Zimbabwe.
Several corporates, institutions and individuals also won awards at the ceremony held at a hotel in Harare.