Photo Credit: UK in Zimbabwe

Last week, I had the distinct honour of attending, for the second time, the birthday celebration of His Majesty the King of Britain, graciously hosted by the British Ambassador, Pete Vowles, at the official residence in Harare. I am both grateful for and humbled by the invitation to this prestigious diplomatic event.

The celebration was graced by two distinguished Guests of Honour: the UK’s Minister for Africa, Lord Collins of Highbury, and Zimbabwe’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Nqobizitha Magaliso Ndlovu. Their presence underscored the significance of cooperation, unity and mutual support in UK-Zimbabwe relations, well captured in Ambassador Pete Vowles’ opening remarks, during which he cited the Shona proverb, ‘Ruwoko rumwe harutakure chirongo pamusoro’ (loosely translated as ‘One hand cannot carry a clay pot on the head’).

The event was attended by diplomats, senior government officials, business leaders, prominent politicians and influential individuals in Zimbabwean society, particularly those involved in the field of development. Of note was the presence of Linda Mudzenda, Zimbabwe’s very own  Golden Buzzer recipient from the 2025 Britain’s Got Talent, who sang ‘God Save the King’ and Zimbabwe’s national anthem. The Churchill School Pipe Band also deserves special mention for its captivating and entertaining performance.

The key message at the event focused on development cooperation between the UK and Zimbabwe, in keeping with Sustainable Development Goal 17 – the global partnership for sustainable development. As both Guests of Honour highlighted, the partnership between the two countries is centred on economic growth, with a strong focus on trade, investment, energy and climate. These thematic areas of cooperation are particularly significant to me as a professional committed to supporting causes that improve people’s quality of life. The climate aspect was especially relevant since it aligns with the space I currently operate in, as reflected in both my professional engagements and research work, which you can learn more about here, here, and here.

The networking segments, before and after the celebration, were also of great significance. I had the opportunity to engage in discussions with individuals in the development and other sectors. It was heartwarming to meet one of the most notable figures in my professional journey, Mr Mudiwa, who is currently with the Zimbabwe Agricultural Development Trust (ZADT). We had the opportunity to catch up, reminiscing about our experiences with Oxfam and EU consultancy assignments. He is the one who introduced me to the evaluation of rural livelihood programmes and to the art and science of development consultancy. It was a pleasure to see him again, as we last worked together in 2010 when he was my superior and mentor. Another noteworthy exchange was my conversation with Dr. Nkosana Moyo – the Founder and Member of Advisory Board of The Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) and former Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the African Development Bank –  during which we focused on my involvement in the carbon credits and development space in Zimbabwe, an important discussion that we hope to continue in the future. I was also pleased to reconnect with Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to network and engage with government officials and like-minded development professionals. Indeed, much of what I have achieved in my field is the result of meaningful networking.

I credit my presence and positioning in this development space to The Beit Trust, which enabled me to enrol in a postgraduate degree in Poverty and Development at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, United Kingdom. I am, indeed, a proud Beit Scholar. I am also indebted to Universiti Brunei Darussalam, whose PhD scholarship deepened my understanding of poverty and quality of life issues, particularly within the Asian context, and broadened my global development perspective.

Last week was truly one of the highlights of my 2025 thus far!

Photo Credit: UK in Zimbabwe