EDITORIAL COMMENT: Zim-UK relationship reset to spur re-engagement efforts President Emmerson Mnangagwa
President Emmerson Mnangagwa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa

ZIMBABWE’S erstwhile colonial master — the United Kingdom — is playing a crucial role in ensuring that the country normalises relations with the rest of the international community and this is a welcome and refreshing development. The two countries are intractably linked due to historical events and the ties that bind them cut across political, economic and cultural sectors and it is for this reason that Britain was among the first countries that made a beeline for Harare in the aftermath of Operation Restore Legacy.

Since then, there has been a flurry of diplomatic activity between London and Harare with Whitehall keen to emphasise its readiness to engage the new administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. It should be recalled that the breakdown in relations between the two countries over the land reform programme ignited a chain of events that saw Zimbabwe becoming a pariah State as Britain influenced Western countries to impose sanctions and cut ties with Harare.

The Labour Government of then Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair must shoulder the blame for Zimbabwe’s isolation from the community of nations, the debilitating sanctions which almost brought the country to its knees and the frosty relations between Whitehall and Harare.

The Conservative Government of PM Theresa May seems keen to let bygones be bygones and reset relations based on the reform policies of President Mnangagwa. Such progressive thinking is welcome as both Zimbabwe and Britain were not gaining anything from the continued hostilities between the two countries but stood to lose quite a lot from the stand-off.

We are aware that as the former colonial master, the UK wields a lot of clout in European Union circles on issues to do with Zimbabwe and takes the lead when the country comes under discussion in their forums. We are also cognisant of the fact that the main stumbling block to re-engagement between Zimbabwe and the international community over the years has been the intransigence of the previous administration under former President Robert Mugabe and its unwillingness to open the country to international investment.

Under President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is open for business and the results have been astonishing with billions of dollars flowing into the country. The international community has acknowledged the reforms that have been implemented and pledged to assist Zimbabwe get back on its feet. While some are hedging their bets and awaiting the outcome of the forthcoming harmonised elections, others are giving the country the benefit of doubt and have already committed large sums of money into various sectors of the economy, particularly mining. We welcome them with open arms and hope that they will contribute to the economic renaissance that is underway and being spearheaded by the new dispensation.

The adage that the early bird catches the fattest worm holds true in the case of Zimbabwe because the policies that are being implemented by the current administration are unlikely to change after elections which are widely expected to be won by Zanu-PF.

We also welcome the role being played by Britain in assisting Zimbabwe to reintegrate into the wider community of nations as it is not only atoning for its past sins of omission and commission, but is being responsible as one of the world’s powerful nations. Our Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Dr Sibusiso Moyo, has been welcomed with open arms in London where he was not only an observer at the just ended Commonwealth Heads of State and Government summit but was also afforded audience with his British counterpart, Mr Boris Johnson on Friday and Africa Minister Mrs Harriet Baldwin on Monday.

After his engagement with Mrs Baldwin, Britain said it was keen to assist Zimbabwe to identify resources to compensate former white commercial farmers who lost their properties during the land reform programme. Briefing the media, Head of Europe and Americas, Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa, said Mrs Baldwin restated the importance of the invitation extended to Lt Gen (Rtd) Dr Moyo saying it should herald serious reciprocal visits between Harare and London.

‘‘She went over the issue of restating how very important it is that our minister is here and that this is the commencement of serious exchange visits between the two Governments. That the United Kingdom will continue to work with Zimbabwe in the Lima process, and that the UK government would assist the Zimbabwe government to identify resources to compensate the former commercial farmers who lost farms in the land reform programme,’’ Ambassador Chipaziwa said. The British government, he added, underscored the importance of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe saying London would put in a good word for Zimbabwe in the ears of the major players in the international community.

‘‘Both countries said they were not going to be restricted by the past but were very much interested in the future, and the 100 million pounds per annum DFID assistance programme will continue into the future. The United Kingdom will also join other EU countries in coming to observe Zimbabwe’s elections,’’ Ambassador Chipaziwa said.

This is certainly a beginning of better relations between the two countries premised on mutual respect.

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