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WE welcome the incoming United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry K Thomas jnr and hope that his tenure will be characterised by a deepening of the re-engagement process between his country and Harare. The new envoy comes at a time when relations between Zimbabwe and the Western world are beginning to thaw and his confirmation statement before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on October 1 points to a man who is willing to have an open mind in his new posting. Ambassador Thomas, who was sworn in on Tuesday in Washington, is not new to Zimbabwe, having served at the US mission in Harare in the 1990s and we hope this gives him a head start as he begins the mammoth task of laying the ground for normalisation of relations between Zimbabwe and Washington.

As an African-American, President Barack Obama’s new man in Harare is aware of the painful reality of Zimbabwe’s past and the protracted struggle which was waged to attain independence. Ambassador Thomas, who succeeds Bruce Wharton, should situate the current socio-economic challenges facing Zimbabwe to the need to correct historical injustices and not be clouded by British propaganda schemes which seek to cast aspersions on the land reform programme which has benefited thousands of Zimbabweans.

Some of his predecessors like Christopher W Dell practised megaphone diplomacy and left the country in a huff with relations between the two countries having been poisoned and at an all time low. We pray that Ambassador Thomas is not cut from the same cloth and judging from his testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, US-Zimbabwe relations might just stand a chance.

In his statement, the new envoy said he was excited to be returning to Zimbabwe and pledged to work hard to normalise relations. “With full recognition of the complex challenges Zimbabwe faces, I remain optimistic about the country’s future and believe that the United States has an important role to play in helping the people of Zimbabwe build a just, free, and prosperous nation,” Ambassador Thomas said. “The trajectory of Zimbabwe’s recent past should not obscure the nation’s tremendous potential. Though battered by more than a decade of political strife, economic decline, and challenges to its health systems, Zimbabwe retains a foundational human and physical infrastructure upon which it can build a strong future. It is in the interest of the United States to be a partner in that process and, if confirmed, I will continue the work of building productive and respectful relationships with all Zimbabweans of goodwill”.

He added: “We need, however, to prepare to move beyond a relationship defined by aid. Zimbabweans are fully capable of feeding themselves, meeting the nation’s health and education needs, building a dynamic political system, and restoring what was once one of the strongest economies in Africa.

“Zimbabwe can and should be a nation of economic opportunities, of respect for the rule of law and the human rights of all people. Those are values that reflect the core of what Americans share with Zimbabweans and that we should pursue together. US policy in Zimbabwe is not about regime change. Only the people of Zimbabwe have the ability to change their government. Our policies support principles, not parties or people”.

We welcome his sentiments and hope that they will be translated to practical action as he begins his tour of duty. Zimbabwe seeks a relationship of equality and mutual respect with all nations and attempts to effect regime change by previous US and British governments have failed because the people of this country have rallied behind the current government under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe. The ruling Zanu-PF party overwhelmingly won a two thirds majority in Parliament in the 2013 harmonised elections in polls deemed free and fair and we urge the incoming US Ambassador to be cognisant of this fact and engage with his hosts sincerely in furtherance of his country’s foreign policy.

Zimbabwe does not need aid or hand outs but budgetary support to implement its excellent polices such as Zim-Asset to spur economic growth. In this vein, we implore the incoming US Ambassador to facilitate trade between the two countries and ensure a smart partnership where citizens of the two nations will emerge winners.

Any attempts to influence Zimbabwe’s internal processes will be met with stiff resistance from the people of this country. We concur with his assertion that the two countries might have their differences but that cannot preclude them from having a sound and productive relationship. “We will not always agree with the government of Zimbabwe, but we will always attempt to maintain a respectful and open dialogue,” Ambassador Thomas said at his confirmation hearing.

We certainly hope he adopts this attitude and maintains it throughout his tour of duty.