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The responsibility to turn around the country’s economy is every Zimbabwean’s responsibility. What this entails is that Zimbabweans, locally and abroad, should play their part in the growth of our economy. Those who have decided to seek greener pastures in other countries remain Zimbabweans first and foremost hence are equally responsible for making Zimbabwe a better place to live.

There is no place better than your own home country. We totally agree with President Robert Mugabe that those in the Diaspora should play an active role in turning around the economy. Zimbabwe as a nation invested in these men and women who today are offering invaluable services in the different countries where they are resident.

Most of them acquired the much sought after skills at our institutions of higher learning that include our polytechnics, teachers’ colleges, vocational training centres and universities. What is comforting is that many of these Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are preparing for life after work and as such many of them are either building or buying houses back home.

This is as it should be but what is also critical is to also contribute in shaping the national economy for a better future. The issue of building the Zimbabwean economy demands a shared vision regardless of one’s political party, religion, colour or creed. Cde Mugabe said the leadership was ready to get ideas and advice from fellow citizens in the Diaspora.

We want to believe that those who have been in the Diaspora for along time have gained invaluable knowledge on how some of the challenges facing the country can be addressed. Now that the highest office in the land has publicly announced an open- door policy, there is no excuse to just complain and criticise without proffering solutions. What is critical is to get Zimbabwe working so that industries that have been closed are opened and those that have scaled down production increase capacity.

We have already alluded to the fact that there is no better place than home so in future there might not be any need to be wandering in foreign lands when there is a vibrant industry back home that can absorb the bulk of our skilled manpower. It is this great challenge to revive our industries which must bring us together as Zimbabweans based here and in the Diaspora.

It is a fact that the country is endowed with natural resources such as minerals, game, arable land and other such resources that should be exploited for our benefit and future generations. It is incumbent upon each and every Zimbabwean to see to it that we bequeath to future generations a very vibrant economy and this is only possible if we pull in the same direction.

We envisage a situation whereby Zimbabweans in the Diaspora join with their counterparts back home and pool resources together to start companies or even inject new working capital to ailing companies. Many of the companies are struggling to raise working capital and those in the Diaspora who inject this much needed capital will be investing in their future.

We need not emphasise the beauty of retiring in a country where the economy is vibrant. We want to once again urge Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to take seriously President Mugabe’s call. It is time the nation gets returns for its investment in its human resources whose skills are in high demand the world over.