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Tichaona Zindoga

THE revolutionary party, Zanu-PF’s annual conference taking place this week is an opportunity for the party to raise its voice on international issues, as the world is currently engulfed in problems and concerns from climate change to global peace and security.

At the same time, a new world order is emerging centred around the Global South, with countries such as China leading to an alternative worldview that is set to challenge and change the status quo, centering on the reform of the international system, starting with the United Nations and pursuit of true multilateralism.

Zanu-PF has traditionally been assertive on global issues, particularly political developments and given what has transpired in the year so far, a strong voice and strengthening and consolidation of alliances is necessary for the party and Government to have a clearly defined and strategic approach.

The war in the Middle East, where Israel is involved in a murderous, destabilising and destructive war that began in Palestine and has spread in the region to include Lebanon and likely to culminate into open conflict with Iran, is a worrying flashpoint.

Zanu-PF has consistently supported the people of Palestine whose late leader, Yasser Arafat, was widely revered – and this has been reflected in numerous resolutions by the party. In the wake of the Israeli war on Gaza, the party voiced strong concern against the Zionist state’s aggression.

“As Zanu-PF, we stand with the people of the State of Palestine during this difficult time, offering our heartfelt condolences and utmost solidarity in the face of the recent catastrophic attacks that claimed the lives of many innocent individuals,” Zanu-PF secretary-general, Cde Obert Mpofu said, condemning Israel and reiterating commitment to the principles of peace, justice and human rights for all.

Cde Obert Mpofu

The world has been horrified by the actions of Israel in Gaza and the expanding carnage in the Middle East whose toll is now around 50 000 deaths, mostly civilians.
The “two state solution”, has widely been accepted as the panacea to the long-running conflict between Israel and Palestine since the formation of the former as an apartheid state in 1948.

At the United Nations, Zimbabwe, along with the majority of the progressive world, has consistently supported the Two State Solution and cessation of hostilities.
At the UN General Assembly, countries have consistently and repeatedly called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, terming it “unlawful presence” at variance with international law, while Numerous Security Council Resolutions such as 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) have called for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the 1967 conflict and affirming the necessity for achieving a just and lasting peace; and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is now pursuing a case of genocide against Israel, has issued advisory opinions stating that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and that all states are obligated not to recognise the occupation.

Similarly, in May, the International Criminal Court sought warrants of arrest for Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, Israeli Minister of Defence, on the basis that there were reasonable grounds to believe that are responsible for other crimes and crimes against humanity “committed on the territory of the State of Palestine”; aside of Hamas leaders that were leading resistance.

The Israeli war has become a blot on the world’s conscience and Zanu-PF needs to be emphatic and unequivocal about it.

Further, it must share thoughts on similar global peace and security issues, including those closer home in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and emerging but substantial and increasingly complex situation in Mozambique, our eastern neighbour.

All these issues need a strong voice, which can be solved within the multilateral context. There is need to highlight the failures of the international system – something, which has been a concern – to guarantee reforms necessary for the advancement of global peace and security, financial inclusion, development, social justice, food security and tackling challenges such as emerging disease threats and climate change.

BRICS and new world order

This is why Zimbabwe must actively support the emergence of a new world order exemplified by the BRICS countries – where Zimbabwe is an aspiring member – which can significantly change how things are being done, failure of which will lead to the demise of many nations.

This past week, the summit of the expanded BRICS held in Russia, President Xi noted that, “At present, the world is going through changes unseen in a hundred years, the international situation is intertwined with chaos.”

He explained that the BRICS group was “the most important platform for solidarity and co-operation between emerging market countries and developing countries in the world today” and “a mainstay force in promoting the realisation of equal and orderly global multipolarity, as well as inclusive and tolerant economic globalisation.”

Host President, Vladmir Putin, said during the opening of the summit: “The process of forming a multipolar world order is under way, a dynamic and irreversible process.”

He emphasised that, BRICS, which is set to have up to three dozen members, “meets the aspirations of the main part of the international community, the so-called world majority,” amid “the current conditions, when truly dramatic changes are taking place in the world”.

He said BRICS could help to settle conflicts, regulate grain prices, manage artificial intelligence and invest in the developing world, in a direct challenge to initiatives led by the US and G7 countries.

According to experts, BRICS countries respect sovereign equality and the right to choose development paths independently. They take into account mutual interests, adhere to principles of openness and consensus and strive to establish a multi-polar world order and a fair global financial and trade system, collectively addressing the most pressing issues of the day.

The BRICS spirit offers new inclusive supports for handling international relations, conducting international co-operation and participating in global governance in today’s world. It pursues partnership rather than alliance, advocates mutual respect and common progress and strives for mutual benefit and win-win co-operation.

Guided by such spirit, BRICS countries have actively participated in international co-operation and global governance, continuously expanding their circle of friends of openness, inclusiveness, win-win co-operation and continuously enhancing their influence in global governance.

According to Xu Xiujun an executive director of the Centre for the BRICS Studies and senior research fellow of the National Academy of Chinese Modernisation at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the greater (expanded) BRICS demonstrates the influence of new forces in global governance.

Says Xu: “The shift in power dynamics among major countries in the world has triggered profound adjustments and changes in the global governance system. In this process, BRICS countries have played an irreplaceable key role.”

He also noted that over the past few decades, overall economic growth rate of BRICS countries has been significantly higher than that of developed economies and also higher than the growth rate of emerging markets and developing countries.

China has consistently been a staunch supporter and participant in the BRICS co-operation mechanism, seeking win-win co-operation with other members and following the spirit of openness and inclusiveness.An immediate opportunity for Zimbabwe is joining the multilateral institution and flagship project, the New

Development Bank, dubbed the BRICS bank, which Zimbabwe has made formal steps to join.

Strengthening Zim-China relations

One of the key foreign policy pillars of Zimbabwe is its relationship with China, arguably its most important geopolitical ally. The ruling Zanu-PF enjoys traditional relations with its Chinese opposite number, the Communist Party of China.

President Mnangagwa

This year, Zanu-PF First Secretary and President, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, attended the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation Summit held in Beijing, in September, where he had a chance to reconnect – at a political level – with the place he trained during the liberation struggle. The significance and symbolism of the event, a visit to Nanchang Military Academy, was scarcely lost to anyone.

President Mnangagwa represents both the past and future of Zanu-PF and CPC relations, which have become even more reckoning amidst the global changes discussed above. As such, there is need to steer the parties even closer to consolidate and strengthen political, military, technical, economic and people-to-people relations.

In previous resolutions, Zanu-PF has acknowledged relations with CPC and Chinese government, including the latter’s assistance in tackling sanctions and facilitating trade and investment. Zanu-PF has also affirmed the One China Principle — located at the core of China’s core interests — which outlines the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The one China principle is a basic norm in international relations, an established international consensus, and the political foundation on which China establishes and develops bilateral relations with 183 countries, including Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe and China have also worked closely on major international issues at a multilateral level, including convergence at issues such as global peace and security, for example the Israel-Palestine conflict and Ukraine Conflict.

Zimbabwe is a firm supporter and beneficiary of China’s policy frameworks such as Focac, Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation initiative.

There are significant gaps, however, in the implementation of these frameworks with Zimbabwe often lagging behind other countries in crafting policies to localise and domesticate opportunities arising from them.

This also and especially, applies to the recent visit to China by President Mnangagwa where he had a bilateral meeting with his counterpart and both sides agreed to a “five star ironclad” strategic partnership of co-operation.

The conference must direct Government to take the issue of implementing outcomes of President Mnangagwa’s successful visit to China and to raise the co-operation to a whole new level, given the level and size of opportunities that are available for Zimbabwe to co-operate with China, including laying a sizeable stake on the US$51 billion that China made available for the implementation of Focac projects.

The governing party should also be acutely aware of how ordinary people in urban areas and rural areas can benefit from learning from China’s modernisation and how it has thrown a wide open invitation for people in the developing world to learn and adopt its ideas to suit local conditions.

The party also stands to benefit from exchanges with its Chinese counterpart about organisation, discipline, unity and other aspects that underline the party’s supremacy over major aspects of the nation, including the military.

Zindoga is the Director of Ruzivo Media and Resource centre, a local think tank that analyses global and local issues.