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By Elvis Dumba
Harare – Focus Africa Series International, in collaboration with the African Tourism Board and Africa News Network (ANN) Services will confer Zimbabwe’s Dr Philip Chiyangwa with a Focus Africa Leading People Award, a special recognition given to people pioneering work in driving the economic empowerment of indigenous business people in Africa.
The conferment will be held in Casablanca, Morocco during the 2023 Focus Africa Tourism, Investment, and Security Conference in June.
According to the conference organisers, Dr. Chiyangwa”s award is set for a recognition of how he has transformed African football during his tenure as the President of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and as the President of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA).
Focus Africa was founded to re-engineer the global perception of Africa and to showcase to the world the success stories of the continent’s unsung heroes, thereby bringing to light the continent’s rich deposits, economic opportunities, and cultural heritage.
With a presence in 27 countries, its mission is to build a socio-cultural nexus in Africa and become a robust human capital development hub on the continent.
“We will accomplish this by creating platforms where people (African leaders and brands) can come together and share their stories to inspire others. This conference will facilitate a challenging dialogue between tourism industry leaders and
stakeholders on the sustainable development of tourism and travel, as well as collaboration with governments, investors, and project owners to create joint ventures that will benefit the tourism and travel industries,” Ibeh Sucex Bright, President of Focus Africa International, told this publication in an interview.
The conference will facilitate a challenging dialogue between tourism industry leaders and stakeholders on the sustainable development of tourism and travel, as well as collaboration with governments, investors, and project owners to create joint ventures that will benefit the tourism and travel industries.
Dr. Chiyangwa is also expected to be among the guest speakers and will speak on the topic “Sport Development in Africa: the challenges and investment opportunities.”
Dr. Chiyangwa said he has been humbled by the recognition and said this proves that the world is taking notice of Zimbabwe’s successes on the global stage.
“This proves that we are being noticed by the world, and this all comes from the good relationships our country now enjoys with the rest of the world as a result of the country’s foreign re-engagement, and engagement thrust being led by our President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” he said.
Meanwhile, the COSAFA Executive Committee is expected to confer an honorary status on Dr Chiyangwa, following the Southern African football association’s General Assembly recommendation.
The title is expected to be conferred during the COSAFA Annual General Meeting slated for South Africa this month.