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Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko bids farewell to outgoing US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton in Harare recently

Clemence Manyukwe News Editor
OUTGOING United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton yesterday described President Robert Mugabe as a lion of Africa who has dedicated his whole life to liberating the continent.

Speaking to journalists in Harare, Wharton said he was leaving the country at a time when relations between the US and Zimbabwe were improving.

He said there were still areas of concern that needed to be addressed before his country removes its illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, but commended the country for holding peaceful elections that were convincingly won by Zanu-PF in 2013.

“Robert Mugabe is a lion of Africa. He has dedicated his life to creating a free and independent … a lion of Africa … he is one of the leaders, not only of Zimbabwe’s liberation but of the Frontline States,” said Wharton.

He said there were areas in which credit was due for Zimbabwe.

“We do recognise the improvement in the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. Thank God, the election of 2013 was peaceful. It’s a huge step forward,” said Wharton, who is returning to Washington to become the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs at the US Department of State.

He, however, alleged that some people still disregard court rulings.

Wharton said there was need to restore property rights and compensate former white farmers, but added that he believes Zimbabwean authorities were sincere when they say they are presently incapacitated economically to pay compensation.

He also talked about the disappearance of MDC-T activist Itai Dzamara, but was quick to add that he could not prove in a court of law who was responsible for his abduction.

Wharton said he accepts the government’s explanation that people disappear everywhere including in the US, but added that he feels more could be done in Dzamara’s case, including roping in Interpol.

On the economic front he said “a small number of policy reforms” were needed to improve the country’s economy, and praised Zimbabwe’s empowerment policy, though adding that it needed to be made clearer.

“The indigenisation idea is a very worthy concept. All governments have the responsibility to protect their own citizens’ economic rights first, but the implementation of the indigenisation law has remained hard to predict and it seems to change from time to time and that has a chilling effect on an investor’s willingness to put money into a country,” added Wharton.

He said as he leaves Zimbabwe, some of his achievements are that he has been able to facilitate high level meetings between government officials, adding that people on the sanctions list “were 25 fewer” since he came.He said for the past 12 months, he supported the IMF staff monitoring programme in the country and was supportive of the country’s debt repayment plan, which he said may clear the way for debt relief and new loans.

The US ambassador said as a result of that support the US “did not bang our shoes at the podium and say no, no, no” at the recent meeting in Lima, Peru, where Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa met the IMF and World Bank officials to resolve the debt issue.

“Fundamentally, the most important determinant of Zimbabwe’s future will be the actions of the people and government of Zimbabwe.

“You’ve heard me say the future of Zimbabwe is in the hands of Zimbabweans. I absolutely believe that,” he said.